Kimberly Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
by CopperCow
Summary: Remus never thought he would be raising James and Lily's little girl with Severus Snape. But then again, he never thought he would be happy again after that fateful Halloween night. After a day at the zoo, Kimberly Potter's life changes forever. AU, references to child abuse, fem Chosen One, Eventual/Implied Draco/Kim
1. The Fighter

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

Chapter 1 The Fighter

The teachers thought she was a problem child. Her family thought she was an ungrateful burden. The kids at school thought she was a lunatic. She herself thought she was a fighter.

It all started when Piers Polkiss pushed her in the mud during a game of Slag Tag at recess. Dudley and his gang invented the game after they put their thick skulls together and figured out what the word 'slag' meant. They would chase her down, mostly to scare her than anything else, but sometimes they pushed her or pulled at her long dark red hair.

But she wasn't taking it that day. She wasn't going to put up with Piers's cruel laughter or Dudley's taunting, "Mum's going to kill you when she sees all that mud!"

And so, she decided to stop being chased into a corner and start fighting back. With a furious screech, she picked up the nearest rock and flung it at Piers's head, breaking the skin and drawing blood. The boy instantly started crying real tears for once as Dudley ran for a teacher. She growled at the teacher's authoritative, "Kimberly Potter!" but compiled when the teacher went on to say, "To the headmaster's office!"

That night, she was locked in her cupboard, of course, but Kim didn't go in as easily as she normally did. She kicked and screamed and scratched and somehow managed to hit Uncle Vernon with a picture from across the hall. She was stuck in the cupboard for nearly a week during all her free time, but she considered that day a victory because Dudley and his friends never chased her again.

* * *

Even though she decided from that day on that she wasn't going to be pushed around anymore, Kim never thought that the biggest fight of her life would be on Dudley's birthday.

It was like any morning. The only thing that was different was that Aunt Petunia wouldn't stop cooing about how fast her baby boy was growing up. She squawked at Kim not to let the bacon burn while the young girl fantasized about shaving her aunt's head while she was sleeping. Yup. It was a normal day until the phone rang.

"Are you sure?" Aunt Petunia said with irritation that she was trying to cover up with concerned politeness. "She won't be that much of a bother. Vernon will talk to her."

Kim glared at her, figuring that she was talking to Mrs. Figg. She was a nice old lady and all, but there were only so many cat pictures a girl could look at. "Talk? Oh, how refreshing."

As expected, Aunt Petunia scowled, smacked her on the back of the head, and went on to talking on the phone as if nothing happened. "Alright. I hope you feel better soon, Mrs. Figg. Oh yes, I'll tell Dudley you said Happy Birthday."

Kim rolled her eyes as she started setting up the breakfast plates. She wondered if Mrs. Figg even knew when _her_ birthday was. "Trouble in paradise?" she asked sarcastically.

"Shut up!" Aunt Petunia hissed, tempted to hit her on the back of the head again. "I will not have you ruin Dudley's birthday. You'll sooner sit in the car all day."

"I…" Kim opened her mouth to argue but then thought better of it. "I would never." She gave her aunt her best charming, fake smile that she knew wasn't believed for a second. "But if I'm left in the car…well, people will stare. You could always leave me here."

Aunt Petunia laughed bitterly. "And come home to the house in ruins? No. You will come with us. But if we here one peep out of you, you will wish you've never been born."

Dudley, who came in at the beginning of Aunt Petunia's little rant, just figured out what his mother was talking about and froze in place. "She-she's coming with us?" His lip quivered with well-practiced acting. "She ruins everything! She poured milk on Gordon's head at lunch two weeks ago."

"Then maybe he should think twice about stealing my juice!" Kim shrieked, flinching when Uncle Vernon put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed to silence her.

"What seemed to be the problem, Poppet?" Uncle Vernon asked his wife sweetly as his grip tightened on Kim's shoulder.

Aunt Petunia glared at Kim as if she were vomit on the kitchen floor. "Mrs. Figg can't take her. She broke her leg."

Uncle Vernon gritted his teeth, too busy fuming to see Kim and Dudley in a futile staring contest. Kim was grinning nastily at him while Dudley looked ready to punch her in the face. She did ruin everything, and until Dudley learned to respect her, she would keep doing it. Uncle Vernon's next words made her smile falter though. "I'll call Marge."

Aunt Petunia sneered. "She hates the girl. And who could blame her?"

"The feeling's mutual," Kim informed her. "I'll be good. If you buy me a new dress on the way home."

Uncle Vernon's face turned purple at the word 'new'. All her clothes, besides the underwear, were from second hand shops. And this was a recent development. Two years ago, she was wearing Dudley's old clothes until a teacher asked Aunt Petunia if the family was struggling financially. "You will be good, or you will see my belt tonight."

Kim spun around and looked up at him. "That will be too little, too late, won't it, Uncle? Unless you want to leave me here…or in the car. Either way, I'm getting a new dress or something will get ruined. It can be your day, the house, or the seats in your new car."

Uncle Vernon grabbed her arm and twisted it, making her cry out. But the strangest thing happened next. A glass pitcher on the counter shook, causing him to pale from dark purple into a sickly pink color. He let go and practically threw her to the floor.

"Go," he gasped out, staring that the pitcher as if it would explode, and the shards of glass would stab him. "Find your best outfit while we eat and Dudley opens his presents. And comb your hair!"

Kim grinned triumphantly and wiggled her fingers at Dudley as she scurried off to her cupboard. "Always a pleasure to do business with you, Uncle Vernon!"

* * *

Kim hummed happily on the car ride to the zoo, mostly because Piers thought she was insane, and she knew it would scare him. She had never been to the zoo, or anywhere cool really, and was excited. She had never any exotic animals outside of books.

"Will there be any wolves?" she asked curiously when they were about five minutes away. "I have dreams about a wolf all the time. But he's friendly. Sometimes I think he can talk, but he never says anything because he's shy."

Uncle Vernon nearly slammed on the brakes. He hated questions or hearing anything about her actually. Half the time she spoke in hopes of giving him a heart attack. She thought that that might be the case when her turned around and glared at her, face so purple that it resembled a huge plum. "WOLVES DON'T TALK!" he screamed, making Piers and Dudley start laughing at her.

Kim sighed as if she were dealing with a two year old. "I _know._"

* * *

The rest of the day, well most of it, was much better. Whenever Uncle Vernon got ice cream or lunch or anything, Kim jumped to the cash register and ordered for herself. He couldn't cancel the order without getting funny looks. She even managed to get a stuffed elephant. She picked a bright pink one, so Dudley wouldn't steal it from her when she left it unguarded in the car.

Sadly enough, everything went into the crapper in the reptile house. Dudley was bored with the sleepy python, so Kim hung around him, thinking she could use a few minutes without seeing Dudley's fat face. Her finger tips glided just over the glass, and she smiled. "Trust me. We're better off without him."

The snake looked up as if he understood what she was saying and stuck his forked tongue out at her. "_Of course. Why do you think I lay around all day? I get that all the time._"

Kim stared. Maybe Piers was right to think that she was insane. Still, no one had spoken to her unless absolutely necessary all day. "Me too. 'Cept Dudley pulls my hair because I don't have any glass for him to press his nose upon."

The snake hissed in a way that sounded oddly like a chuckle. "_Humans_."

"They aren't all that bad," Kim defended. "People bow to me all the time in public. It's weird, but I suppose it's nice. They don't bow to _Dudley._"

Before the snake could answer, Piers had to ruin everything like he always did. "DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! LOOK AT THE SNAKE! IT'S TRYING TO EAT KIM THROUGH THE GLASS!"

Kim whipped around and glared at him, but before she could start screaming at him, Dudley pushed her to the ground. He and Piers were practically slobbering all over the glass. The snake was her friend, not theirs! Kim scowled but forgot all her anger and blinked in confusion when the glass disappeared.

The snake was gone in a flash as Dudley and Piers fell in and started screaming like little girls. He thought he was halfway to Brazil when Dudley and Piers rose and tried to escape, only to realize that the glass was back. Aunt Petunia was ready to faint as the zoo keepers declared the reptile house in a state of emergency.

* * *

On the way home, Piers and Dudley were so excited and couldn't wait to tell all their friends. Kim was more disappointed that she definitely wasn't getting a dress after this because somehow, Uncle Vernon always managed to blame her when stuff like this happened. And of course, Piers made it worse.

Right before his mum picked him up, Piers sneered at her and said loudly. "Kim was talking to it! Hissing and everything! Weren't you?"

"I was not!" Kim said hotly. She hadn't hissed once.

Piers snickered just as his mum pulled up in her minivan. "Liar!"

Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was gone to say a word to her. Dudley watched eagerly. "Cupboard. I'll deal with you in the morning."

Kim tensed. It was barely dinner time. She hated the dark, cramped cupboard. Wishing she was at least half Uncle Vernon's size, she looked him dead in the eye and said, "No."

Uncle Vernon stared and only broke from his stunned trance when he spilled brandy all over himself. "What did you just say?"

"I said no." Kim felt herself shake with fear, but she held her ground. If she could help it, she wasn't going into her cupboard until she had to sleep. She hated being locked up.

Uncle Vernon rose from his chair in the parlor, reminding her that he could easily smash her head with his meaty fist. "I am going to give you one more chance, Kimberly. Go to your cupboard."

"No." It took every ounce of her courage not to take a step back in fear. She shook her head, feeling her mouth run dry. "I will not."

Snarling, Uncle Vernon charged at her grabbing her arm so she couldn't run away. Screaming, she yanked anyway, knowing she wasn't going to be able to break free as Uncle Vernon yelled in her ear. "We do everything for you! You would be on the streets if it wasn't for us!"

"Leave me alone!" she sobbed, twisting to facing him once more and hopefully kick him. Blindly, she punched him with her free arm, only to be slammed against the wall. She heard Aunt Petunia scream like the time a mouse found its way into the house. Kim opened her eyes to scream at Uncle Vernon some more, but froze when she saw what Aunt Petunia was screaming about.

All the pictures, and even the coffee table, were floating by themselves in mid-air. She heard Dudley whimper in the background. "Mummy! What's happening?"

"Go to your room, Duddy, where it's safe!" Aunt Petunia cried. Kim wondered if he listened or not.

Uncle Vernon, blissfully unaware of what was going on behind him, grabbed her jaw with his sausage-like fingers. "Listen here you worthless little—"

The coffee table hit Uncle Vernon on the head with a loud thud. He crumpled to the floor as Aunt Petunia screamed and fainted. Dudley must've ran up to his room.

Kim had no idea whether the coffee table had killed him or not, but she wasn't about to stick around to find out. They could wake up at any second, and she would be in even more trouble. Being a ten, going on eleven, she didn't think about taking anything with her. She just ran to the nearest door and bolted, too afraid to look back.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review.**


	2. The Marauder

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

Chapter 2 The Marauder

Remus didn't bother reading _The Daily Prophet _anymore, so he didn't even having the slightest inkling about what was going to happen today. He mostly kept to himself, occasionally visiting the Weasleys. He was lonely but unwilling to do anything about it. Everyone he loved was either dead or out of reach. Or so he thought.

He was enjoying watery porridge and mentally preparing himself for his daily job search when there was a knock on the door. Out of habit, Remus grabbed his wand and walked to the door slowly. The wards hadn't fallen, but as Mad-Eye would say, he had to keep constant vigilance. "Who's there?" he asked hoarsely, voice not used to talking this early in the morning.

"Not to worry, my dear friend," he heard Albus say cheerfully on the other side of the door. "I thought you would have been to my office by now."

Guarded, Remus cautiously opened the door. "Why?"

Albus smiled at him, but he didn't have the usual twinkle in his eyes. "I take it you haven't read _The Prophet_?"

"I never do." Remus lowered his wand, hoping this wasn't about Sirius.

Albus sighed and refused to meet his eye. "I'm afraid Kimberly is missing."

Remus paled. That was the last thing he expected to hear. "What-what do you mean missing? You said she was safe there Albus! The blood wards—"

"Have not fallen." Albus placed a Muggle office folder on his kitchen table. "She ran way."

Remus stared at the file as if it would jump up and bite him. "I don't have her."

"I know." Albus opened her file, which Remus saw was from her school and filled with disciplinary referrals. "This past school year, her behavior has changed from shy and quiet to demanding and even violent. If she isn't throwing a tantrum, she'll just walk out of class. She steals books from the library and will throw food at other students. And somehow…" His lips quirked into a sad smile. "She managed to turn a teacher's hair fluorescent pink."

Remus started at the girl's school picture. She looked just Lily but sad as she shyly smiled into the camera. James's eyes looked back at him, dull and hopeless. "I…I had no idea. I-I never contacted her."

"Perhaps you would like to help us find her?" Albus suddenly looked guilty. "Petunia said she last saw Kimberly hit Vernon with a coffee table. A girl her size couldn't lift it…That was two days ago."

Remus felt his blood run cold. "Two days? They didn't report her missing for _two days?_ She-anything could have happened to her, Albus! She's ten years old!"

Albus nodded. "I have made a mistake, placing her with Petunia."

"Clearly," Remus snapped, not understanding how the old man could be so calm. "I know the Ministry wouldn't let me take her, but Molly was more than willing!"

"We are going to use the Trace," Albus said firmly, which was his way of telling Remus that the subject was dropped. "I think that you would be gentler than the aurors. Perhaps you can calm her down before they take her. She must be terrified."

Remus glared at him. He wasn't about to ignore what was going on at the Dursleys. But he needed to find Kimberly before something happened to her. "I'll find her with you."

* * *

Remus found Kim huddled behind a dumpster at a restaurant not even an hour's walk from Privet Drive. She was scarfing down food that she must have taken from it. "Hello."

Kim froze and looked up at him, looking more annoyed then fearful. "Goodbye."

Remus chuckled. She was a brat, just like Prongs. "James would say something like that."

To his dismay, the name didn't register with the girl. She kept eating. "Then you better go find him."

Sighing, Remus took a step closer and another. He stopped mid-step when she grabbed a glass bottle and stood up, pointing it at him with a shaking hand. "Don't worry. I-I'm here to help you. I knew your parents."

She still pointed the bottle at him. Remus noted that her face was covered in dirt, and there were bruises on her jaw and arm. Her lightning bolt scar was hidden under dark red bangs, which was the only part of her hair that was still neat. The rest of it was a rat's nest. "I don't have parents."

"Everyone has parents," Remus said softly. "And yours were every good people. Your mother's name was Lily, like your middle name."

She paled and took a step back, the rest of her shaking with her arm. "St-stay away from me! I will cut you! Don't think I won't!"

Remus swore under his breath. There was nothing he could say that wouldn't scare her further. "Petunia says you can come stay with me for a whi—Ah!" Remus was on the ground before he could register what happened, grunting in pain after she kicked him in his private area.

He opened his eyes to see her try to run away when the aurors flung off their invisibility cloaks. Her eyes widened as she found herself surrounded, and she seemed too horrified to scream. Suddenly and silently, all the trash cans and even the dumpster started floating in the air. One of the aurors made to grab her, and Remus felt his heart sink as she started screaming and kicking in terror at his or her touch. Several aurors were hit with trash cans, but they immobilized the dumpster before it could do any real damage.

* * *

"I wish they hadn't surrounded her like that," Remus muttered as he walked the halls of St. Mungo's with Albus. "If they were going to do that, they should have at least stunned her first. Or put her in an enchanted sleep."

"They were nervous." Albus frowned with disappointment. "And perhaps a little excited, which is why I pushed for you to talk to her first. No one has heard of her since that fateful Halloween night."

Remus felt disgusted. She wasn't some sideshow to ogle at! "She's just a baby."

Albus shook his head as they stopped at the door of the room the Ministry was keeping her in. "No. She hasn't been a baby for a very long time, Remus. She won't let any of the healers near her."

"She didn't even know who James was," Remus said sadly. He should have checked on her years ago. Albus should have checked on her years ago. It was no secret that Lily and Petunia didn't get along. "I would be surprised if she knew about magic."

"Well…" Albus smiled at him as he put his hand on the door knob. "You are allowed to speak with her, since you were able to get more than terrified screams out of her." He opened the door slightly. "I'll wait outside. Tell her that you can take her to Hogwarts. We'll see how things go from there."

Remus had to resist the urge to gasp when he walked into the examination room. Everything, even the examination table, was floating in the air. Kimberly was huddled in the corner in a fetal position, her face pressed against her knees. "They just want to help."

His words were almost a whisper, but she jumped and yelped as if he had screamed at her. "You!" Her eyes were bulging out of her head. "You-you put me here! Let me go! I'll go home! I swear!"

Feeling his bones creak, Remus sat on the floor on the other side of the room. "You don't have to go home. At least, not for now."

"I didn't kill him!" she cried desperately. "Aunt Petunia's a liar! I didn't throw that table at him."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "You didn't kill him. Vernon's still alive. He has a rather nasty concussion, but that's it."

Kim stared at him. He acted like he didn't see all the floating things and only briefly glanced at the examination table as it slowly glided to its place. "I didn't do it."

"Not on purpose," Remus added, noting that she was suspicious of his calmness over the manner. "What do you know about magic?"

She tensed as if he cursed at her and tried to push herself further against the wall. "That's it's not real."

"I guess you're right." Remus grinned as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Petunia is a liar." That earned him the smallest of smiles, encouraging him to go on. "Because magic is very real."

Kim looked at all the floating objects around her and thought of all the stuff that she got in trouble for over the years. There was nothing that came to mind that could explain everything that was floating in midair around her. And there was the fact that Aunt Petunia always blamed her whenever stuff went wrong. She bit her lip and looked down at her hands. "Makes sense."

"What do you know about your parents?" he dared to ask. He wanted to get her out of here as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the full moon was tomorrow, so she would have to stay with Albus or Molly.

Her eyes flashed, telling Remus that was a touchy subject. "They died in a car crash."

"No, they didn't," Remus said instantly, wishing he could stomp over to Private Drive and scream at Petunia until he turned blue. Then he would find Vernon... "They were murdered."

A clipboard flew across the room, just missing his head by centimeters. It happened too fast for Remus to even react. "Now who's the liar?" she shouted. "Aunt Petunia has no reason to lie about that! She-she wouldn't!"

Remus waited patiently for her to calm down before he spoke again. "Petunia is bitter and jealous. And she is cruel, obviously. If she was going to tell you the truth, she would have to tell you about magic."

Another object nearly hit him. A plastic cup filled with cotton balls fell on his head. "I don't want to talk about my parents," she said coldly. "I want to go home."

"Really?" Remus brushed the cotton balls off himself. "Because people who run away usually don't want to go home. And I think I owe you the truth."

"You kidnapped me!" she spat. "You probably have been following me for weeks and made all this stuff up."

Remus was silent for a few minutes. She was watching him, trying to figure out if she had hurt his feelings. He honestly was trying to figure out what to say next. "How about I take you to the school that your parents went to? I fear that I will be falling ill tomorrow."

She didn't say anything, and Remus could tell that she was starting to shut down as she curled back up into a fetal position. He wondered if she really thought she was kidnapped or understood that she was in a hospital. The examination table shook in its place but didn't fly into the air again. Realizing that she wasn't saying anything because she didn't have a choice, Remus rose stiffly and waved goodbye.

* * *

Albus was waiting for him as he gently shut the door behind him. His eyes were twinkling. "That went well."

Remus shook his head. "She doesn't trust me."

"She doesn't trust anyone, Remus." Albus was grinning mischievously, making Remus feel wary of the old man. "I believe I have a temporary solution to our problem, my boy."

"Oh?" Remus honestly just wanted to go home and sulk. He didn't feel comfortable leaving her here but didn't know what else to do. He couldn't afford to feed himself, let alone her.

"Cornelius wants to place her in temporary foster care until he completes his investigation of the Dursleys." Albus had a proud look on his face that told Remus that he had somehow tricked the Minister. "Of course, dozens of families are volunteering, but the healers claim that she would be better off as an only child. Or at least, the youngest."

Remus didn't know where he was going with this, but any hope for Kimberly staying with Molly flew out the window. "So what do you have in mind?"

"A teacher came to me with _The Prophet _before I even knew what had happened." Albus chuckled. "Severus wasn't too happy with me, I'll tell you that much."

Remus stopped in his tracks. He could practically _feel_ James turning in his grave. "No. Anything but that."

"If Severus has temporary custody, he will spend the rest of the summer at Hogwarts." Albus looked ready to do a little jig in place. "And if you happen to be there, well… That is Severus's business."

"He…" Remus gulped. "She seems more James than Lily, Albus. He'll instantly see that and want nothing to do with her but get revenge."

Albus stopped at the floo. "Severus told me that he wants nothing to do with 'Potter's spawn' as he put it. He will stay at Hogwarts, and so will you. He claims that he will be keeping his distance, but you never know." He shrugged. "Maybe Severus will even surprise himself."

**A/N: Thanks for reading! The next chapter is titled "The Potions Master" and is one of my favorites so far. I love Severus and Remus's co-parenting in this fic! But that's something for you guys to see later. ;) Please review!**


	3. The Potions Master

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

Chapter 3 The Potions Master

Kim only took a shower when the doctors promised her food. They claimed she was getting a visitor today, and she wondered if it was the sickly man from before. She honestly wasn't sure if she liked him or not. Anyone who called Aunt Petunia a liar was pretty awesome in her books, but she didn't like that he said her parents were murdered. It made her feel uneasy. Maybe because she knew he was telling the truth.

"Kimberly." Kim looked up from her breakfast to see a pale man with greasy black hair and a large, hooked nose. "My name is Severus Snape. I am going to discharge you today, granted that you let the healers examine you. I will not have you leaving the establishment concussed, malnourished, or worse."

Putting her breakfast tray to the side, Kim scowled. This guy was beyond grumpy. Worse than Dudley if he missed a meal by fifteen minutes. "I'm not supposed to run off with strangers."

Severus gritted his teeth in frustration. Didn't she understand that all these people were bending over backwards to help her? She was clearly a brat just like her father. "You also aren't supposed to run away or eat out of dumpsters or get into fights at school or steal milk and library books. The list goes on Kimberly."

"So you're saying I should run off with strangers then?" she asked crossly. Now Kim wished the sickly man was back. He was nice.

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes for a moment. Lily would say something like that, but she would say it jokingly, not jadedly. "Only when the Ministry allows it."

She tapped her fingers on her tray, starting to get frustrated herself. "The Ministry let me go with Aunt Petunia. And now they're giving me to you. Congratulations."

Merlin, she was insufferable. Severus had to count to ten in the head to keep himself from smacking her in the back of the head. "Lupin is ill. He will be at Hogwarts full time by the end of the week. Then you are his problem."

"Who?" she asked rudely.

Severus raised his eyebrows. The wolf could have at least introduced himself. "The sickly fool who you assaulted. I take it he was too worried about you to properly introduce himself. His name is Remus Lupin."

After a moment of silence, Kim hopped off the bed, scowling. "He was nicer than you."

"Most people are," he said dryly. "You don't have anything to pack. However, dozens of young witches were enamored with the idea of befriending you. They sent you clothing so you would have something to wear at Hogwarts. The healers will take less than five minutes."

"Why…" He said too many things for her to be able to decide what to ask about. "Who said I was going with you?"

Severus sneered at her. "You did, when you made the decision to run away. Don't act without being prepared for the consequences."

Kim gaped slightly. "Since when are the consequences of running away having to live with a strange old man?"

"Since the beginning of time," Severus said sourly. He rolled his eyes at how confused the girl looked. He felt like a fool for agreeing to this. She looked so much like Lily… but had double her attitude.

* * *

Severus was surprised that Kimberly let the healers examine her. From what Lupin said, the girl was a terror. He apparted her to Hogsmeade because he didn't want to explain the floo to her. She looked shocked at the sensation, but then showed Severus why she was so compliant. She definitely had some Slytherin in her.

The moment Severus let go of her hand, the girl broke out into a full on sprint. She had only done what he said because she saw him as a means of escape! Cursing like a sailor, Severus chased her all throughout Hogsmeade, resorting to loud threats when he lost sight of her. Still, he heart sunk when he heard her terrified screams.

Luckily, it was because that oaf Hagrid had found her and scooped her up. "Dumbledore tol' me you'd be here shortly," he said loudly as the brat kicked, scratched, and screamed in his arms. "He's waitin' with Remus in the Grea' Hall for lunch."

"Lovely," Severus said dryly.

Kim only stopped screaming when she realized no one was around to save her. Apparently she was being dragged to a secluded castle, which she took as a bad sign. Castles had dungeons. She started struggling again half an hour later, when she realized how close they were getting, but the giant wouldn't budge.

At the doors, the nasty greasy haired guy informed her, "Run off again, Kimberly, and I will stun you."

Kim glared at him as the giant put her down and left them be. "Wouldn't dream of it."

Severus rolled his eyes as he opened the doors. Lupin had a lot of work cut out for him. She remained silent as they walked to the Great Hall, making Severus think she was silently plotting her next great escape. Hopefully the wolf would hurry up and recover.

"Sit," Severus commanded as soon as they reached the table. Kimberly gave him a look that silently told him to sleep with one eye open tonight but complied. Lupin looked mildly surprised but said nothing.

"Hello, Kimberly. My name is Professor Dumbledore." Albus acted like there was no tenseness in the room and was smiling kindly. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Kimberly stared at him but said nothing. Severus grunted in annoyance. If he was to have her in his charge during the full moons, she would have to learn some manners. "Answer him, brat."

Severus shuddered when she put a demented smile on her face. She was clearly James Potter's child. "Hello. I guess you're the ring leader. You'd think if you could afford a castle, you could afford to hire better kidnappers. One looks ready to drop dead while the other can't out run a little girl. I do like the big one though. He's a keeper."

"You aren't helping!" Severus hissed at Albus, who chuckled. Lupin looked too astonished for words. Severus glared at Kimberly. "We are not kidnappers!"

Kim raised her eyebrows. "I'm not here willingly. I'm pretty sure that's the most basic definition of kidnapping."

Severus stared at her as she calmly stared back. Lily must be playing some sick joke on him from beyond the grave. "I legally have custody of you."

"Wonderful!" she snapped sarcastically. "Do you want me to call you daddy?" Lupin looked ready to pass out at the thought.

"I want…" _To go back in time and cancel my subscription to The Prophet._ Severus felt his fingers twitch with the urge to grab his wand and hex the girl. He could only imagine what it would be like to teach this child in a few months. "I want you to behave yourself."

The girl frowned, considering this. Then something flashed in her eyes, something that Severus would learn over time was very dangerous. She smiled with false sweetness. "What's in it for me?"

Severus gaped and unashamedly looked to Lupin for help. Lupin looked equally perplexed, just happy that she was talking and not having nervous breakdown. Luckily, Albus had an answer. "You will have your own room, with the privilege of having its key. However, that privilege can easily be lost."

Albus had no idea how much value that had to Kim. She never had her own room before, but it was the key part that was the most important. She could never be locked up again! She smiled for real this time, too excited to try to keep a straight face. "Sounds like a deal."

"Merlin," Lupin muttered, and Severus almost laughed at how overwhelmed the man looked. The girl gave him a funny look but said nothing.

"Excellent!" Albus clapped his hands together and gestured to the empty plates on the small, round table. "What would you like for lunch, Kimberly?"

Kim frowned. No one ever asked her that before. When she thought about it, she didn't really know herself and found herself automatically saying, "Dudley likes pizza."

"Does he now?" Albus asked with genuine interest. "Unfortunately, he isn't here. I was asking what _you_ liked." He was met with silence that he chose not to be concerned over like Remus so obviously was. She could learn to speak up over time. "_I_ like to have lemon sherbet for lunch but only do so on special occasions. How does that sound?"

Always the party pooper, Severus didn't like the sound of that one bit. "Albus. She is borderline malnourished!"

"Now, now, Severus," Albus chided. "This is a special occasion. Remus has been looking forward to this all day." Remus flushed with embarrassment. "He will be sick for a few days and won't be able to get out of bed."

Remus looked at his plate when he felt a pair of brown eyes staring him down. He was surely going to have to make something up by the time he recovered. "Perhaps, Severus is right, Albus."

"Nonsense!" Albus chuckled. "We can have a more balanced meal at dinner when Poppy arrives. She'll be out for my blood when she finds out that I waited all day to inform her that Remus was here. Then we will have vegetables and roast for all!"

"Foolish old man," Severus muttered as Albus announced seemingly to no one that they would be having lemon sherbet for lunch. Kim's eyes widened, and she looked under her plate when the food appeared out nowhere, trying Severus's patience further. "You'll spill it."

Slowly, she laid the plate flat on the table, deciding to test him and push his buttons. "You need to get the stick out of your butt."

Remus gaped, and Severus refused to look at Albus's twinkling eyes as he reprimanded the girl. "And you need to learn how to stop insulting those who are trying to help you." His eyes hardened when he detected laughter in her eyes. "Eat, before I pin you down and force feed you."

That did the trick because she really seemed to believe him. She flinched, turned away from him and started eating, only stopping to drink the milk that Albus ordered from the house elves. She refused to look at him, making Severus hope that she finally understood he was to be feared. She could pull that crap with Lupin, not him.

"So…" Lupin decided to try to break the ice, getting nervous when she turned her piercing gaze toward him. "This is where you will go to school to learn magic."

Kim glared at him. "No. I'm going to Stonewall High. Aunt Petunia wants me to be a hairdresser."

"You don't have the people skills," Severus said before he could stop himself.

She looked down at her plate, cheeks burning. "You would know," she muttered. Severus wondered if she wasn't so embarrassed if she would have looked at his hair.

Albus kept smiling, but Severus could tell that he was just itching to give him a stern talking too. "There aren't many hairdressers in the wizarding world. Perhaps you could start a new trend."

"_I_ don't want to," she informed him crossly. "I don't even like to brush my own hair."

Lupin started to laugh but quickly covered it up with a cough. "Hogwarts, is a school for witches and wizards. You are a witch, like your mother, so you will go to school on September 1st with other kids your age."

"Aunt Petunia—" she started, but Severus cut her off.

"No longer has any say in what you will wear tomorrow, let alone what school you will attend." Severus wondered how long his words would be true. Albus was very insistent that the blood wards remain intact. He supposed next summer he would have to scare Petunia and her lump of a husband into leaving the girl alone.

The girl didn't say anything, so Lupin took the opportunity to shove more information down her throat. "In a few weeks, I will take you to get your school supplies."

"And you will not run off like you did in Hogsmeade," Severus added with annoyance.

Lupin frowned but then quickly smiled. "Who you like an owl? Then you could write to me while you're at school."

Kim had no idea what he was talking about and opted to be nasty instead of showing him her confusion. "I want to be left alone."

Lupin paled, looking sicker than he already did, causing Severus to almost feel bad for him. "And you will be alone if you keep it up," Severus snapped. "He found you eating out of a dumpster and tried to make sure you weren't scared out of your wits. Stop acting like an ungrateful brat."

Kim's face turned red with anger at the word 'ungrateful', and her heart clenched with hurt feelings. Aunt Petunia always said she was ungrateful. "I am _not_!" she shouted. Everyone's goblets and plates flew into the air. The table shook slightly but stayed put.

"Severus has quiet the temper," Albus said calmly. "Perhaps now is the time I show you to your room, Kimberly. A lot has happened in a short amount of tim—"

"You said you wouldn't lock me up!" she shrieked as the table shot up into the air. A plate shot right for his neck, but Albus was quicker and immobilized it.

"No one's going to lock you up," Lupin tried feebly. "Try-try to calm down!"

Kim whipped her head in his direction, tear filled eyes also filled with fiery rage. Severus quickly immobilized a goblet that started flying towards the werewolf's head. She jumped out of her chair. "So you can locket me up? I'll never be locked up again! I—"

"_Dormeo penitus_!" Severus cast before she could seriously hurt someone. He's eyes flashed to Albus, who was gravely watching Kim fall into a deep sleep and waver slightly. "If I knew this, I would have left her at the hospital. She is not fit to go to Hogwarts! She is clearly a danger to other students." He turned to Lupin. "I take it you didn't tell her about her parents and the Dark Lord, considering that you weren't beaten black and blue with an inanimate object."

"She will be ready by September," Albus insisted as he watched her sleeping form fall to the floor. "She only needs—"

"Love can't cure everything, Albus," Severus spat. He rolled his eyes as Lupin looked ready to cry. "Go to bed, wolf. I will not send her back. She's your problem. I'm dumping her at Mrs. Weasley's tomorrow, so hurry up and recover if you want to ensure the safety of the Weasley twins."

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	4. The Friend

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

Chapter 4 The Friend

"Are you sure?" Remus asked with exhaustion the next morning, too weak and too tired to open his eyes when Severus showed up in the Hospital Wing with his potions the next morning. "She might not be ready to be around other children."

Severus gritted his teeth. No, he was not sure, but it shook him to the core to see a tiny copy of Lily in such distress. She was better off away from him. Especially when he saw James Potter's eyes staring at him guardedly and resentfully. "Molly will coddle her. She'll be fine."

"Severus," Remus tried again. "I don't want her thinking I don't want her around."

"She will be back by dinner time," Severus growled. "Drink the potions as soon as you have the strength to sit up. Then maybe she can visit you."

* * *

Kim woke up the next morning with a start. She had no clue where she was sleeping, but it wasn't the lumpy mattress in her cupboard. It was a cozy little room with the sun shining through the windows. There was a nightstand next to her bed, and to her amazement, there was a key on it! The old man was telling the truth!

Quickly, as if someone would bust open the door and take it from her, Kim snatched the key up, looking around the room for a place to hide it. She didn't have much time though because half a minute later, there was a knock on the door. Wincing, she opted for the most obvious place: under the mattress. Not saying anything, she ran over and ripped open the door, making Severus jump back, thinking that she going to take her time and open the door slowly. Kim grinned evilly.

"Good morning to you too," Severus drawled. "You were in an enchanted sleep and slept past dinner. There are clothes for you in the dresser. The door next to it leads to the bathroom. Hurry up so you have time to eat breakfast."

Kim stared and then slammed the door in his face so she could get ready. She laughed silently when she heard him mutter swears under his breath. She flung open her dresser drawers, expecting to find the hand-me-downs from the girls that Severus had mentioned the other day. Her eyes widened when she saw new clothing with the tags still on them. She never had anything _new_ before.

She opted for sweat pants and a t-shit, just in case she felt the urge to run off again today, and scurried off into the bathroom. She decided to take a long bath, just to mess with Severus. She only got out when her stomach started to growl.

As expected, he was scowling on the other side of the door nearly an hour later. "Molly will feed you, I'm sure. I will pick you up at four o'clock. And you _will_ be kind to Lupin when you visit him."

He started to walk away, and Kim only followed him because he promised food. "If you're friends with him, why do you call him by his last name?"

Severus's eye twitched at being called Lupin's friend. "I despise him."

Kim shuffled her feet, trying to keep up with his hurried pace. "Doesn't look like it to me. You stick up for him, like a friend."

"Perhaps I am trying to force him to stand up for himself." Any doubts of dropping Kimberly off quickly flew out of Severus's head. Lily would say something like what she just said. "He wants to be your parent, not me."

Kim was silent most the way to Albus's office after that, thinking about what he just said. This Severus guy was obviously sending her away for the day, and she didn't like that. Too many new people. And so therefore, she decided to mess with him again. "So if you aren't his friend, and you're my parent, not him, but you want him to be my parent, does that mean you guys are _partners?_ 'Cause there's this kid at my school who has two mums. Aunt Petunia says it's disgusting, but I think those two mums are _loads_ better than her."

Severus stopped in his tracks, skin crawling because of what she just said. The thought of him and Lupin... He shuddered. "No," he said after he calmed down enough not to start screaming at her. "Lupin is…_discriminated_ against. He legally can't take you, so I took custody of you as a favor."

Kim mauled this over in her head, forgetting to smirk at him and tease him further. "Is it because he's sick?"

"No," Severus lied smoothly, relishing in picturing how frantic Lupin would be if he heard her. The brat was intelligent, for James Potter's child.

"Hmmm." Kim shook her head when they started walking again. "Fine. Don't tell me. I'll figure it out because the teachers are wrong. I'm not stupid."

Severus stopped at the gargoyle guarding Albus's office. "Any teacher who thinks that is stupid." Severus had seen her report cards. Her marks were rather high for a period of time, then changed to flunking grades for a while before bouncing back enough so she would pass at the end of the school year. Why didn't they ever notice this and request a conference? "And should have their license taken away."

Not expecting praise, Kim beamed, too happy to notice that the gargoyle moved out of the way when Severus told it the password was lemon sherbet.

But she wasn't beaming for long because Severus showed her how to use the floo, which scared the crap out of her. Kim was surprised that she didn't throw up along the way. And if she did, where would it go? She grimaced at the thought as Severus flooed in, arriving through green flames a few seconds later.

The living room was empty. Well, there were no people in there, at least. It was full of things like toys, knitting supplies, books, and anything to make it look lived in. Kim was starting to like the place. That is, until Mrs. Weasley came bustling in.

"Oh, you're here! You can call me Mrs. Weasley, sweetheart." she said excitedly, frowning slightly when Kim hid behind Severus. The man was equally displeased and somewhat shocked. "Did you eat? Ginny was wondering if you wanted to have a picnic outside. Ronnie is eager to meet you too, but he'll never admit it. Boys. Fred and George—Oh."

Mrs. Weasley saw a vase that was a wedding gift rise slowly off an end table. She didn't say anything and simply put her hand over it, gently pushing the light blue vase back to its proper place. She acted like it didn't bother her but was suddenly at a loss for words. Severus bit his tongue to keep from snapping at her. He couldn't prove Lupin right.

"Perhaps…" Severus felt guilt flutter through him when she clutched at his robes and tried to remember her asking if he and Lupin were lovers. "Perhaps a quiet breakfast with Ginevra will be best. And maybe Ronald. But definitely not the Weasley twins."

Mrs. Weasley nodded slowly. "Yes-yes. Fred and George can eat in the kitchen. Percy's at a friend's house doing homework…" She glanced up the stairs nervously. "Just a minute."

Severus roughly tugged his robe out of Kim's grasp and turned to her. "I will pick you up at four."

Kim shook her head slightly at the prospect of him leaving her there. "But—"

"But you need to be socialized with children your own age." Severus clenched then unclenched his fists. There was that damned flutter again. "Behave so I can give Lupin a good report."

Before Kim could reply, they heard Mrs. Weasley scream, "BECAUSE YOU'LL TERRIFY THE POOR GIRL, THAT'S WHY!"

Kim's eyes widened like a cornered animal, and Severus nearly told her to get back into the floo. Instead, he repeated, "I'll pick you up at four."

* * *

A few minutes later, Kim stared at her plate at breakfast, suddenly not very hungry anymore. Maybe if she hadn't been so mean to him, he wouldn't have left her. The red haired boy and girl asked her questions but stopped when she refused to answer. They kept glancing at her bangs, trying to catch a glimpse of her scar, she supposed, since Dudley always made fun of it.

The girl, Ginny, held up a doll with curly black hair and green eyes. "She's my favorite."

"Dolls are boring," Kim snapped, only because she never had a doll herself. But she would never let Ginny know that. The boy snickered.

However, because she grew up with six brothers, Ginny wasn't offended in the slightest. "Not always! They are fun to play with when it rains, and we can't play outside. Bill plays with me, when he visits."

Kim glowered. Ginny had lots of brothers, apparently. She must never get lonely. "Well its nice today," she mumbled.

"Exactly," said the boy named Ron, speaking for the first time. "Mum says the gnomes need to be tossed out again."

* * *

Severus was ready to tear his hair out by one. He could hardly get any work done with Poppy harassing him. Lupin was awake and asking her to bring Kim back. He tried to ignore the woman, who stopped by whenever Lupin had enough strength to ask her to harass him, but he had a throbbing head by three.

"I'll get her!" he snapped when he saw Poppy in his doorway again. Poppy stopped in her tracks but then smirked instead of looking hurt. He prayed to Merlin that a cure for lycanthropy could come along soon, so he wouldn't have to deal with the girl anymore.

* * *

The house was quiet when he flooed to the Weasleys. Molly was knitting a jumper with a big green K on it, and Severus had to fight the urge to sneer at her. "Lupin is driving me mad. I've come to retrieve her."

Molly jumped up and looked at the clock. "Time sure does fly…She had fun, I think. She didn't say much, but she smiled when Ron showed her the gnomes. I haven't seen them since lunch, actually."

Severus felt himself become rigid. "You left them unattended?" he yelled, hoping he didn't sound worried. "Albus told you she was a runner, Molly. She—"

"Relax, Severus." Molly chuckled. "The wards will ring if she crosses them."

"She has poor control of her magic," Severus grumbled.

Molly was about to say how sweet it was that he was worried, when Fred and George came running into the living room, covered from head to toe in mud. "Mum! Mum!" they yelled, terrified.

"What-what happened?" Molly exclaimed incredulously. "I told you to keep an eye on them!"

"We did!" Fred insisted.

George fidgeted. "But we showed Ron this huge spider!"

"We were trying to teach him to get over his fear," Fred swore.

"And then they ran off!" George yelled.

"We thought they went in Ginny's room," Fred went on.

"But they weren't there or in Ron's room so we went back into the backyard." George looked down at his muddy form. "It was awful!"  
"The backyard was flooded!" Fred yelled excitedly.

"They snuck behind us and pushed us in the mud!" George waved his arms around, flinging mud everywhere. Severus scowled, wiping mud from his face. "And-and she grabbed a huge glob of mud and threw it in my hair!"

Fred scratched at his scalp. "Then Ron and Ginny followed suit and started doing it to me! They thought it was funny, but she-she was out for our blood. I swear!"

Severus sighed. At least Lupin would think it was funny. Hopefully it would speed up his recovery. "Where are they now?"

George gulped. "We barely escaped. And when we did, she called us gorillas!"

"So they are still in the backyard?" Severus barked, tired of their melodramatics. The twins nodded frantically.

Severus stomped to the backyard expecting Kimberly to hide from him. Instead, he heard her talking, and for once, she didn't sound afraid or angry. She actually sounded…happy. "Aunt Marge's dog pretends to not like me, because his mum's a troll. But when she's passed out drunk in her room, Ripper _plays_ with me if I give him hotdog chunks."

"I wish I had a dog," Ginevra whined. He saw Ronald nod in agreement.

Kim pursed her lips. Uncle Vernon wouldn't like what she said next. "Wolves are better."

"Since when?" Ron wondered. "They'll eat you alive!"

"That's what I thought about Ripper," Kim said hotly. "There's nice ones. I'm sure of it!"

Severus really wished Lupin was here. The man would have passed out in dead faint. Perhaps he could tell him once the girl was asleep. "Kimberly." She jumped and spun around. "It's time to go. Lupin, for some strange reason, was worried about you."

Ginny's eyes widened. "Mr. Lupin taught me how to read!"

"Me too!" Ron added importantly.

Severus sneered, knowing that Kimberly was going to harass them the next chance she got for information on Lupin's illness. She frowned. _Probably plotting,_ Severus thought dryly as he glared at the two youngest Weasley's. "Fascinating," he drawled. "Up, Kimberly, before Lupin keels over with worry."

Kim hopped up and put her hands behind her back, trying to hide the fact that they were covered in mud. "Is he going to be sick tomorrow?"

"Most likely," Severus stated. "But he will be less bed ridden. And I know what you did. There's no point in hiding the evidence."

"I didn't do anything," she lied rather poorly. "The twins fell in the mud and used the magic to make me fall in too. But I held my hands out to stop myself from falling, so they are the only things that got muddy."

Severus nearly laughed at her foolishness, thinking about her tantrum yesterday to stop himself. "The Weasley twins are thirteen. They can't legally use magic outside of school until they are seventeen. The authorities have a trace on underage witches and wizards, which informs them when magic is used." He stopped at the fireplace. "How did you flood the garden?"

She glared at him, in a sour mood because she got caught. "It's called a hose, ever hear of it?"

Severus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If he didn't know her background, he would have cuffed her on the back of the head. "Yes, I have, you little brat. I wanted to make sure that you weren't having a fit of accidental magic."

Kim cocked her head to the side. "Fit? Like a seizure?"

"Like a subconscious tantrum." Severus felt that flutter of guilt again when the girl's cheeks burned red. That was one of the behaviors that children couldn't control. "But everyone has them. You'll grow out of it."

Kim didn't say anything the rest of the way to the Hospital Wing. Dudley had tantrums. She saw her behavior as simply defending herself. Dudley had tantrums because he wanted _everything_. She just wanted people to be nice to her. She wasn't Dudley.

Remus was asleep when they arrived, and for some reason, Kim heard Severus mutter so lowly that she could barely hear, "Stupid wolf." Unfortunately, she was too mad at him to ask why. Feeling sneaky, Kim creeped over to Remus's bed and leaned over him, inspecting to see if he was dead. He stirred before she noticed his faint breathing, making her yelp and back away. He smiled but could barely open his eyes.

"Did you have fun today?" Remus asked hoarsely.

Kim stared. Severus wasn't lying when he said that Remus was ready to keel over. What if he did die? Would she be sent back to the Dursleys? "I…" She looked up at Severus, only to find that he was heading out. It was really hard not to call him a mean name right now. "I was good."

Remus laughed until he broke out into a coughing fit. He opened his eyes a little wider. "Remember, I knew your father."

"I was good," she insisted, feeling a little offended that he didn't believe her, even though he was right not to.

"Alright." Groaning in pain, Remus tried his best to sit up. Kim took a step back, wondering if the effort was going to kill him. He looked so pale and thin. "I suppose you're feeling more comfortable?"

Kim fidgeted. It was more like Severus was forcing her to feel more comfortable. Everything kept changing so fast that she couldn't really take the time to think about it. "You could say that."

"I'm afraid…" Remus paused, trying to choose his words carefully. "I'm afraid that I will be sick at least twice more until you go to school. But I will see you off. No one knows you're here, so I'll take you to the train station so you can come, well, right back here."

Kim stared at him, thinking about what it would be like to attend a new school where she knew no one. Thoughts of Ginny and Ron attending the same school were pushed in the back of her mind. "I don't like school."

Remus frowned, not sure what to say about that since her file clearly proved that she was telling the truth. He tried to remember how nervous he was to go to school before he met his friends. "Perhaps you only need to find the right school."

Her eyes darkened, not believing him in the slightest. "People don't like me, once they get to know me."

"Really?" Remus pretended to be shocked that people wouldn't like her. He was actually worried about just the opposite, that people would like her too much but only for her fame. "Ron and Ginny didn't like you? Because Mrs. Weasley assured me the other morning that they wouldn't stop talking about meeting you."

"That's because…that's because..." Kim made a frustrated noise and clenched her fists. Ron and Ginny did seem to like her, but she wasn't sure if it was really true. They could be pretending so they wouldn't get in trouble with their mum. She couldn't tell Remus that though. People never believed how sneaky kids her age could be. Dudley's gang pretended to be friends with her all the time but only for jokes. By the end of the day, she would be pushed off the swings or have food spilled on her.

"And Severus likes you," Remus tried to assure her. "If not, he would have you in tears right now."

Kim shook her head, trying to hide how nervous he was making her. "He got mad when I asked if you were his boyfriend."

Remus gaped. He could practically hear James laughing at him. Once he recovered, he said, "I can imagine he wasn't too pleased." He smiled, seeing right through her attempt to distract him. "And I like you."

A wide range of emotions turned her eyes stormy: disbelief, secret elation, and distrust, all well hidden with anger. She let out a shuddery breath and the empty bottles by Remus's bed shook. "You only like me because you liked my parents!"

"That is only a half truth," Remus allowed. "Because if I didn't like your parents, I wouldn't know you. But I'm glad that I do."

She didn't say anything and sat on the bed across from him, bringing her knees to her chest and simply staring at him. Remus struggled to stay awake now that she wasn't talking to him and found himself drifting off under her critical gaze. He dreamed a stag watching over them and a rat scurrying away. The big black dog was hiding in the shadows but was watching just like the stag. The shock of seeing the dog woke him up just as he heard Severus saying, "After all that you can't even stay awake for an hour, Lupin?"

Remus sat up with a start, bleary eyed. "I—"

"Was afraid of her adjusting?" Severus sneered at him while he shoved a potion in his hands. "Trust me, she is just like her father. Put the Weasley twins in their place after only a few hours."

Kim glared at him, and Remus wondered if any Hogwarts student was brave enough to do that to his or her Potions professor. "They were teasing Ron so I teased them!"

Severus gazed at her coldly, but she didn't shiver under his stare like most children her age would. She simply looked at him as if to say, _Is that all you got?_ "Perhaps I need to find you more civilized company than the Weasley twins while Lupin is ill."

Remus, who had a feeling of who Severus had in mind, muttered, "I will be better by tomorrow."

"You mean, you will be able to get of bed to do little more than use the bathroom, tomorrow." Severus tried to ignore Kimberly's wide, curious eyes. If she was as smart as he thought, she would figure it out by the third or fourth full month she witnessed with Lupin.

Remus blushed, bringing some of his color back. "I should be fully recovered by Sunday."

Severus snorted. "Perhaps if you were feeding yourself properly. The brat will be with the Weasleys tomorrow. By Saturday, you should be able to function without needing to sleep several times throughout the day."

**A/N: Thanks for reading! And there is no RLSS in this fic. Kim was just teasing Severus. :P Please review!**


	5. The Undersecretary

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

Chapter 5 The Undersecretary

Remus felt similar to starting his first day of school on the first day that he would spend with Kimberly: a little nervous and a little excited. It was Saturday, and he felt like he was recovering from the flu and was hoping that she wouldn't ask too many questions. He was a little jealous to admit that she was more comfortable with Severus than himself and hoped that she would be more talkative around him in the future.

He found Severus with her in the Great Hall eating breakfast. The dour man was scowling at how much syrup she was putting on her pancakes, and Remus had to choke back his laughter to keep Severus from snapping at him. His heart sunk a little when Kimberly jumped as he sat next to her, but he pushed back his worries, telling himself that anyone would get scared since he didn't announce his presence. "Good morning," he said softly.

Her wide dark eyes studied him for a moment. "I thought you were going to die," she informed him simply, as if she were telling him that he had food on his shirt.

"Not to worry." Remus knew he looked like death warmed over and hoped Severus wouldn't force him back to bed. "I'll back to normal within a few days."

She shrugged and took a bite of her pancakes, shuddering when she realized that she put _way_ too much syrup on. Severus smirked, causing her to grimace and bravely take another bite. Remus chuckled as she continued eating to rebel.

"You will eat eggs tomorrow," Severus stated, leaving no room for argument. "You can't muck that up."

In response, there was a glint in her eyes that reminded Remus so strongly of James that he felt a stabbing pain of grief. "You can put ketchup on eggs, you know. I can cover my eggs with ketchup, put too much cinnamon on oatmeal, and too much sugar on my cereal."

As predicted, Severus was ready to throttle her. Instead, he quickly finished his tea and rose from his seat. "And that…" He smiled cruelly. "Is why you are having breakfast with Lupin alone."

Kim pouted and pushed her pancakes away as he strode off. She mumbled something under her breath that Remus couldn't hear even with his sensitive hearing, though he imagined it was about Severus and not too pleasant. Remus wracked his brain for something to say as uncomfortable silence settled. Kim looked straight ahead and drank her milk. Severus was easier to deal with in her eyes. He was mean, which to her meant familiar.

"What would you like to do today?" Remus finally asked, trying to keep his voice light even though he was so nervous. "After we get a hold of a breakfast that is less…sickly sweet?"

She looked at him as if she expected him to answer for her. Aunt Petunia always gave her a list of chores to do for the day when she didn't have school, and once she was done, Kim usually wandered around the neighborhood, often playing on the swings on a nearby playground by herself. As long as she was home by dark, Aunt Petunia didn't care what she did. Aunt Petunia never wanted to spend the day with her unless she wanted Kim to hold the bags while she shopped.

"C'mon!" Remus tried to stay cheerful as things got awkward. He couldn't help but feel another jolt of jealousy, thinking that she would have answered Severus. "How about I show you where the kitchens are? It was your father and—well, it was your father's favorite place when he went to school here."

Kim looked down at her soaked pancakes, which were starting to get soggy. She hopped out of her seat, noting that Remus seemed really stiff as he struggled to get out of his own. "Sound's good. Where's the old man?"

"You mean the ring leader?" Remus chuckled as her face turned a little red. "I believe he is interviewing the next Defense Against the Dark Arts professor today. Professor Dumbledore is a very busy man. You probably won't see him much until school starts. He's the headmaster."

Kim frowned, thinking of all the trouble she got in at school. "I'll be seeing him a lot once school starts then."

"I'm sure you will." _Much to Lily's disapproval,_ Remus added in his head. "He will probably use you as an excuse to eat sherbet for lunch again."

They stopped at a picture of fruit, and Kim stared at Remus, who just smiled wistfully. It had taken the Marauders ages to find this place. There were a lot of good memories hidden away in there. Hopefully he could make another one.

Remus tried to keep his eyes on Kim when he tickled the pear as the portrait swung open, but he was disappointed to find that she kept her face skillfully blank. He took one step in the doorway and motioned for her to follow. Kim shook her head, fear flickering briefly in her eyes. "I'm not going in there. If I don't know how to get in, how will I know how to get out?"

"You seem to have a fixation on getting out of places," Remus noted, remembering the lunch the other day when she feared being locked up. She didn't answer and took a step back.

Remus frowned, thinking for a moment. "How about this?" Putting his hand on the wall for support, Remus took off one of shoes, placing it on the edge of the doorway. "The portrait can't swing shut if my shoe's in the way. Then you can just push it all the way open if you want to leave."

Kim thinned her lips, considering this. He could just take the shoe way once she was inside… "You go first."

Trying not to show that this bothered him, Remus nodded and walked in, not hearing her follow until he was all the way in the kitchens. He smiled when she stood next to him, and he could see her staring in shock at the cooks. "Don't be afraid of the house elves. They're very kind and have been feeding us these past few days."

"They don't look real," she mumbled, almost to herself.

"You'll be thinking that a lot, I'm afraid." Remus led her to one of the tables. "The Muggle world…which means the non-magical world, doesn't see much."

Once Remus sat down, Kim slowly sat across from him. She suddenly remembered the snake at the zoo. "They don't hear much either."

"I suppose not." Remus wasn't entirely sure what she was talking about but knew that she probably wouldn't tell him if he made her think that whatever she was referring to wasn't normal. "So, what do you want? The house elves will make you anything."

"I don't know." She looked away, telling Remus that she just didn't want to tell him. He supposed there would be plenty of other breakfasts for her to say what she wanted but couldn't help jealously wondering if she was comfortable with telling Severus what she wanted. Severus didn't seem like the pancake kind of guy.

"You're mother loved crepes," Remus informed her gently. "She ate them all the time when she was pregnant with you."

She made a face at him that simply said, _Ew._ But Remus wasn't sure if it was because she didn't like crepes or if it was his reference to her mother's pregnancy with her. "I think I'll stick with cereal."

Remus decided to take that as a small victory and gestured over to a middle aged house elf. "Hello, Balt. Remember me? This is James and Lily's daughter, Kimberly." She made a face at the use of her full name but said nothing. Remus told himself it was because she was too busy leaning away from Balt's gaze. "We were wondering if we could eat breakfast in here."

"Of course, Mr. Lupin." Balt tore his grass colored eyes away from the girl. Kim smiled at how squeaky his voice was. "What would you like?"

"We'll both have cereal and…pumpkin juice?" His question was directed at Kim, but she stared at him as if she had no idea why he was asking her. "Right. Pumpkin juice it is then."

They ate in silence after that, Remus noted Kimberly sneaking glances at him when she wasn't keeping her eyes downcast on her bowl and wished he knew what to do to make her more talkative around him. He didn't have it in him to be a dreadful bat like Severus. James would have pranked her, probably making her cry or lash out at him, and Lily would have coddled her, only to be hurt by her distant behavior. Peter would have tried to talk to her and would have already given up by now. He felt his heart clench as he thought of what Sirius would do. He would talk to her like nothing was wrong until she opened up to him, after he beat the stuffing out of Vernon Dursley that is.

Remus closed his eyes for a moment, knowing that was his best option. When he opened them, he smiled. "I suppose we can go to the library after this. As long you return any books you want to take."

Her face turned red, but she jumped out of her seat, waiting for him to follow suit. "I only steal them because the teachers say I'm too bad to take them home, but I have nothing else to do in my…my room. And I give them back! I can't keep them or they don't release my report card."

Remus was just itching to ask, _When you're locked in your room?_ But he knew that would make her shut down. Instead, he said, "We have lots to do this summer, so you won't be too bored. And I'm sure Severus wants you to meet his friend's son, but it's okay if you don't like him. The boy's father used to pick on me as a child, actually. He purposely got me lost in the castle when I asked for directions."

"Should've made a map, so you wouldn't have to ask," she muttered, causing Remus to trip over his own foot. Kim ignored him, chalking it up to him being sickly and weak and followed him to the library.

Kim had to say that she had never seen so many books in one place. She wrinkled her nose, trying not to sneeze at the smell of dust and old paper. Remus put a hand on her shoulder and was about to say something but froze when she cringed. She felt like a coward for doing so, but Uncle Vernon always did that to shut her up when she was mouthing off. It was usually a sign that he was going to get his belt soon…

"Are you alright?" Remus asked cautiously, trying to swallow back the lump in his throat. He slowly removed his hand. Sirius didn't like to be touched when he was her age.

She looked up at him with wide, slightly fearfully eyes. She needed to get out of here… "Can we go outside instead?"

Remus nodded silently, trying to act like this didn't bother him. "This way," he said hoarsely, leading her to the exit. She followed silently and kept her distance. Remus noticed her fear start to ebb away and replace itself with shame.

They walked in silence while Kim tried not to think about what just happened, and Remus worried. He wondered how she was going to be able to make friends at school if the only person he had seen her really connect with was Severus. He would have to talk to Molly and see how things went with Ron and Ginny. He didn't want her to wind up friendless or picked on.

"What do you like to do outside?" Remus tried, prepared for her usual silence.

Kim stopped and looked around. She didn't see a playground. She didn't have to hide or run away from Dudley's gang. None of Mrs. Figg's cats to pet… She looked over to a huge tree. It almost looked…like it was moving. "I like to climb trees."

Remus turned his head to see what she was staring at and froze. "Uh…But not that tree. Trust me."

She frowned, and Remus almost groaned. James would take that as a personal challenge. "Why?" she asked, sounding a little demanding.

Remus bit his lip. He would have laughed if this didn't have to do with the Whomping Willow. "Because it's alive…like a monster. It doesn't let anyone near it, and you could get seriously hurt if you try. It's called the Whomping Willow for a reason."

She gazed at him as if she could read his mind if she stared hard enough. Once she realized it wasn't going to work, Kim stuck up her nose and started walking in the opposite direction. "Fine. We'll pick a real tree."

They walked over a tree near Hagrid's hut, and Kim silently started to climb it. Remus sat at the base of the tree, figuring he could immobilize her if she fell. Soon enough, he found himself dozing off, not used to doing something other than lie in bed so soon after the full moon. Less than an hour later, he awoke to the sound of demented giggling that he knew wasn't Kimberly. With a start, he opened his eyes to find Dolores Umbridge leering at him.

Dolores giggled again. "Severus did not mention that you would be around the child, Mr. Lupin."

"Wh-what do you want?" Remus stuttered, not knowing what the horrid woman had up her pink sleeve this time.

Before she could answer, Kim swung down, hanging upside down from a tree branch. She grinned when Dolores yelped and jumped backwards.

"Are you related to Aunt Marge?" Kim asked happily, telling Remus that she was having her own private joke. "Because you remind me of her. Only slightly smarter."

"I…" Dolores put a hand over her racing heart. The child had really scared her. "I am here to check on you, child. The Minister has personally looked into your case, bless his heart. He is speaking with your guardian right now in the headmaster's office. _I_ would like to speak with you."

Still hanging upside down, Kim folded her arms over her chest. "Well, you can't always get what you want."

Dolores smiled prettily, but Remus could see that she was losing patience fast. "I would like to speak with you, Kimberly."

Kim shook her head. "No. I don't like you."

As Dolores simply stood in place gaping like an idiot, Remus decided it was time to step in. He couldn't let the Ministry think he allowed her to behave like that, even if he didn't have custody of her. Wincing at his aching bones, Remus stood up and stretched. "I'm afraid we all have to do things we don't want to sometimes, Kimberly. C'mon. I'll walk you to wherever you need to go."

Still upside down, Kim turned her head to him and scowled. "You're supposed to be the fun one." Remus only smiled and shrugged, secretly delighted by her words. But Kim didn't stop scowling as she flipped right side up and jumped from her tree branch. "Fine."

Dolores was all smiles again once they were on their way back to the castle. Cornelius was not going to be happy with Lupin spending time with the girl. Maybe he would remove Kimberly from Severus's custody and place her with a more suitable guardian, like herself perhaps? She giggled at the thought, elated by all the power having Kimberly in her custody would bring her. "I will conduct our interview right here, sweetheart."

They had stopped in front of a classroom that was close to Dumbledore's office. Remus tried to smile reassuringly, but he didn't trust Umbridge for obvious reasons. "I-I'll be-I won't be far," he managed to stammer out.

Kim shuffled her feet and put her hands behind her back, looking at the ground. "I'm not afraid," she said softly.

"Good." Dolores smiled prettily, not knowing that she looked like a hungry toad. Kim glared at her as if to say, _I wasn't talking to you, _but Dolores ignored her as she opened the door. Trying to be brave, Kim walked into the empty classroom without looking back at Remus.

* * *

Remus felt his heart clench with fear when Umbridge closed the door behind her. Then it sunk, when he heard the click of her locking the door. He assumed it was so he couldn't barge in, but he knew that it would only make Kimberly panic.

Sighing, Remus headed over to Dumbledore's office, hoping that Cornelius wouldn't force him to leave. He had to know what had happened with the Dursleys. Once he reached the headmaster's office Remus was surprised to find Severus livid.

"You can't expect me to believe you found nothing, Fudge!" Severus spat. "The girl was found with bruises on her arm and jaw! You can't tell me she somehow fell and managed to get fingerprint shaped bruises on her face!"

Fudge bristled at being talked to so disrespectfully. "The investigation is not closed, Severus! In fact, I am more suspicious because I found nothing! There is barely a trace of the girl in the house! No pictures, no school papers…I couldn't even find her bedroom!"

"That-that can't be right," Remus gasped out, making his presence known. "She-she said she reads in her room…"

Fudge glared at him but turned back to Severus and Dumbledore, choosing to not acknowledge Remus's presence any further. "The son has a second room with books that don't even have recent fingerprints on them. It is filled with his toys and some of his clothes."

Albus frowned. That couldn't be right… "Did you try to summon her clothes? Did you only check the bedrooms? Perhaps she stays in the attic."

"They don't have an attic, Dumbledore," Fudge snapped, starting to get flustered. "There was no sign that she lived in the basement either. The only evidence that she lived there that I was able to find was her tooth brush, which an auror found in the trash."

"Use truth serum!" Severus growled.

"I can't without probable cause!" Fudge shot back. "And how can I find evidence of child abuse when there is no evidence that the child even lived in the house? For all I know, she was staying somewhere else, which would explain why the Dursleys took so long to report her missing."

Severus advanced towards the Minister, whipping out his wand. "That is not true, and you know it, Fudge! Don't you dare sweep this under the rug!"

Fudge glared at him. "There is nothing to sweep under the rug! And I don't see why a former Death Eater should have custody of the child who brought down You-Know-Who."

Remus was too stunned to say anything. If he couldn't find anything, Fudge might have to send her back to the Dursleys even if he didn't want to. And of course, he, a werewolf, had no say in the matter. Finally, Dumbledore broke the silence. "What did the Dursleys have to say?"

Fudge frowned, only looking more confused. "They said she is a difficult child and that they couldn't handle her. They want us to pay for the destroyed furniture."

"That's all you were able to get out of them?" Severus yelled. He really thought Fudge would be more aggressive with this case, considering how famous Kimberly was. He was the Minster of Magic for Merlin's sake!

"Yes and legally, the Ministry is responsible for damages caused by accidental magic." Fudge sighed, looking genuinely guilty. "You think I don't understand? People write to me every day, asking what happened. I'm supposed to be holding a press conference—"

"She isn't a bill waiting to be passed, Fudge," Severus snapped. "I will not allow her to be returned to that house."

Fudge's eyes slid briefly to Remus. "Considering the company you have placed her in, Severus, I may not have a choice." Remus felt the blood drain from his face but somehow managed to remain silent. "As far as I can tell, there is no proof that the Dursleys did anything illegal. It is very clear that they don't like her, but…unfortunately that is not against the law."

"She can't…" Remus gulped when Fudge looked disgusted by the fact that he was speaking to him but bravely went on. "How can she have a good life growing up with people who dislike her?"

Once it was obvious that Fudge wasn't going to lower himself by speaking to Remus, Dumbledore once again broke the silence. "Would you be opposed to the idea of Severus and me taking a look at the house? I would like to take a crack at finding her room myself."

Fudge wanted to assert his authority and tell Dumbledore that he had no right to butt into the investigation, but he needed something to say at the press conference at the end of the week. He sighed in defeat. "Very well. Hopefully Dolores can get something out of the girl."

* * *

Kim was fully prepared to remain silent about the Dursleys. She didn't have to talk about anything she didn't want to, especially with someone she didn't like. And she would have remained silent too, if Dolores had been predictable. "So, what do you think of Mr. Lupin?"

"Hm?" Kim blinked in surprise. The toad-like woman leaned forward, gleefully waiting for Kim to say awful things about Remus. She bit her lip, wondering if she could get answers out of this woman and if she could trust them. "Why would you ask?"

Dolores smiled, resembling a hungry shark. "He is a very dangerous…well, man may not be the right word."

Kim drummed her fingers on the table but then thought better of it and placed them in her lap. She supposed she could get a variation of the truth from Dolores. "He looks like a man to me."

"Yes but looks can be deceiving," Dolores simpered. "You shouldn't be alone with him. You could easily find yourself in grave danger."

Kim fidgeted in her seat. Something about this woman made her feel really uncomfortable. "He's nice to me," she whispered.

Dolores shook her head and tutted, making Kim feel small. "That only makes him more dangerous. It means he is skilled at hiding his insidious nature. Your parents fell for it."

Kim tensed at the mention of her parents. The table they were sitting at shook, making Dolores jump and try to hold it still. "You're a liar."

Feeling like she was getting nowhere, Dolores quickly changed the subject. "Why did you run away?"

"None of your business!" Kim snapped. She didn't care what this woman knew. She would rather eat dirt than even be sitting with her right now.

Dolores scoffed but still tried to sound concerned. "I only want what is best for you. Perhaps you would be better off with a mother—"

"My mother is dead," Kim snarled, rising from her seat. "And even dead she is better than you'll ever be."

Without another word, Kim stomped towards the door. She yanked on the knob, heart sinking with terror when she realized it was locked. Dolores giggled as she got out of her seat and gently pushed the chair into the table. "This conversation isn't over until I say it's over."

"Let me go!" Kim shrieked, yanking on the doorknob again as if her life depended on it.

Dolores had every intention of replying sweetly and then telling her that Lupin was a werewolf, but then the door ripped off its hinges and flew right at her, knocking her to the ground. Not daring to breathe, Kim slowly walked over to her, lifting the door to peer at her face. Once she saw that the woman was still breathing, she fled.

* * *

Remus sighed tiredly as he left Dumbledore's office. They made no progress, only confirming his fears. Nothing good could come from the Dursleys hiding her room. He couldn't spend time being miserable for long though, because he saw Kim running from the room that she was previously in with Umbridge.

"Hold it right there!" he called after her retreating figure.

Kim skidded to a halt. She spun around, eyes wide. "I didn't do it!"

Severus had just caught up to Remus and raised his eyebrows. "That most certainly means you did," he drawled.

"N-n-no," she stuttered, even though she knew that wouldn't work since magic was apparently real. She still didn't feel comfortable with the idea but also didn't feel comfortable asking about it.

Resisting the urge to sneer at her, Severus peered into the doorway and quickly turned around. He pressed his lips into a thin line. That girl was going to seriously hurt someone one day.

"Well?" She did her best to stare blankly at him. Growling to himself, Severus pinched the bridge of his nose, silently asking Merlin to grant him a bit of patience. "What happened?"

Kim shuffled her feet, eyes focused on her shoelaces. "The door was locked…and then it wasn't."

Remus felt his lips twitched with the effort not to laugh. "How convenient."

Severus glared at him. Lupin needed to spend more time trying to solve the problem instead of laughing at it. "You need more self-control, Kimberly."

Kim's eyes hardened, and she pointed at the door. "Stuff like that happens before I can even think about controlling myself!"

Severus smirked, laughing without humor, and said the words that Remus knew were coming since this all started. "You're just like your father!" He grabbed her by her shoulder and started dragging her away before Umbridge could wake up. Remus followed, silently fuming. "You don't think, you just act."

"Severus, that was uncalled for," Remus tried as Kim struggled to get out of Severus's grasp. "You know that most kids her age have trouble with accidental magic."

Muttering under his breath, Severus turned so they were in an empty corridor. He grabbed Kim by her shoulders and crouched down, meeting her hard, distrustful gaze. "I don't care what that pathetic excuse for a woman said. You have to tell them everything. If not, they will have no choice but to send you back."

Kim looked away, wishing he would stand up again, so there would be more distance between them. "There's nothing to tell."

Severus stood up and looked at Remus, but as usual, the werewolf had no idea what to do. "That is what the Minister told me," he growled. "He couldn't even find your room, so—"

"I have a room!" she screamed defensively, and Severus realized he struck a chord. He narrowed his eyes. Was she angry because she was lying or was she angry because her room was hidden away where the Dursleys wouldn't have to see her? She had to have been sleeping _somewhere._

"Then where is it?" Remus asked softly.

Kim stared passed them, face turning redder and redder with the effort not to cry. "It's none of your business."

Severus rubbed at his eyes. The expression she was making reminded him of when he called Lily a mudblood. The hurt was too powerful to hide. "I will find it tomorrow. When Professor Dumbledore and I search the house."

* * *

Remus paced Severus's office once Kimberly shut herself in her room after that. "I don't understand. What could be so horrible that she's keeping from us? What if they cleaned up the boy's other room? What if it was her room, and they were getting rid of evidence? What if Dursley was _doing _something to her?"

"She was only embarrassed, Lupin." Severus sat in his chair behind his desk, feeling sick at what the other man was implying. "And if that was the case, she would have been even more humiliated. To the point where her magic would have acted up again."

But Remus wasn't listening and continued pacing. "She didn't like it when I touched her shoulder. They are hiding her _bed_ and _clothes_, Severus. As in sheets, underwear—"

"Shut up, Lupin!" Severus nearly shouted. "If Albus and I cannot find anything tomorrow, I will spike their drinks with truth serum. Now get out of my sight before you make me sick."

Growling and having murderous thoughts swirling in his mind, Remus stormed off, slamming the door behind him.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	6. The Snob

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

Chapter 6 The Snob

"How did you like Poppy?" Remus asked the next morning, eyes burning from lack of sleep. "Did she bring you food you like for lunch and dinner? She takes care of me when I'm sick."

Kim gazed at him and then at Severus, who was watching her while pretending to read the newspaper. She wondered if Severus was really going to Private Drive. She hoped not because she was sure that he would use magic to find out that she slept in the cupboard. She wondered if he would see that she didn't even have any dolls like Ginny. "I eat anything."

Remus smiled, but Kim noticed that it didn't reach his eyes. "That's good. You were a very picky baby. Did you know that? I used to sneak you chocolate all the time. Your mother was livid when you found out. Said that it was my fault that you weren't eating your baby food."

Severus looked up from his newspaper and raised his eyebrows, silently asking Remus something. Kim saw that he paled and looked away, but she had no idea what he could be hiding. Severus grunted with annoyance when he realized that Remus wasn't going to continue. "You are a fool, Lupin. It will blow up in your face."

Kim frowned once she realized the subject was dropped. They seemed to only want to tell her half stories. Rolling her eyes and getting started on breakfast, Kim decided to act like Severus hadn't spoken at all. "Once, Piers dared me to eat a worm. It wasn't that bad."

Severus smirked when Remus's face turned green with disgust. "Bloody Gryffindors."

Kim took a bite of her scrambled eggs and chewed slowly. "You have a very interesting vocabulary."

Severus finished his tea and wiped his mouth with a napkin, preparing to leave. "Not to worry. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin will become a huge part of your vocabulary soon enough."

Kim glared at him as he started to leave, knowing where he was going. She wished he would slip away when she wasn't around, so she wouldn't know. "I wasn't worried!" she called out after him. "I just think you're weird is all!"

* * *

Remus smiled nervously as he started walking with Kim to Hogsmeade. They were just going to get her textbooks and Potions supplies today. Her wand and uniforms could wait until after her birthday, when he wanted to get her an owl. Kids grow like weeds, Lily used to say.

Once they passed the gates, Kim stared fearfully at his hand. "Are you going to do that teleporting thing again? I didn't like that."

Remus chuckled. "It is called apparition and not many do at first. But I would imagine that you liked floo even less?"

Kim frowned and kicked a pebble. Haven't these people ever heard of taking the bus? "I guess. I don't mind cars though."

Remus smiled. "I haven't driven in over a decade, I'm afraid. You'll get used to it."

"That's what Aunt Petunia said about the cat litter smell of Mrs. Figg's house," Kim grumbled, holding out her hand for Remus to take.

Remus tried to hide his shock that she would willingly let him touch her and acted like it was no big deal when he grabbed her hand to apparate to Diagon Alley. They had to stop at Gringotts first. Remus wished that he could pay for her things himself and was ashamed to admit that he couldn't afford to buy a few textbooks.

"Your parents left you a lot of money," he said quietly. "It'll help you pay for your school things."

If Kim understood that he was saying that he couldn't afford to buy her books and other school supplies, she acted like she didn't and gazed at the bank like a tourist seeing Big Ben for the first time. "Uncle Vernon always complains that I'm too expensive."

Remus felt nausea and utter disgust wave over him at the mere mention of the man. He dared to ask, "What else does Uncle Vernon do?"

She turned to him with wide eyes and titled her head to the side, trying to figure out exactly what he was asking. "He likes to complain a lot. He likes to eat… He's pretty much just a loud, complaining lump. Except with Dudley…He's always nice to Dudley."

"Oh…" Remus tried to smile but was too shaken by his own suspicions to look amused. "Well, you know… That you can tell me anything, right? Or-or not me…You can tell Severus, or anyone else because—"

Kim glared at him. She could tell him anything, but she could also tell him nothing. "Uncle Vernon would call you guys _abnormal._ Or freaks."

"Is that what he calls you?" Remus asked as gently as he could.

"Leave me alone!" she snapped, turning away from him. "If I knew you were going to bother me, I wouldn't have come."

Remus tensed and almost immediately started apologizing but decided against it. He shouldn't apologize for caring about her. She was just being defensive because she didn't want to talk about it. "Very well," he said stiffly. "Let's go inside."

* * *

Severus already felt rage boil inside him when he and Albus apparated to Private Drive. Lupin's suspicions only riled him up further as they walked up to Number Four. If Lupin was right, Severus would push for Azkaban with a cell next to Black.

He didn't bother waiting for Albus to knock politely. Instead, he pounded his fist on the door. "Open up, Dursley, before I cause a scene!"

Petunia Dursley ripped open the door almost immediately. But before she could hiss a vehement reply, she recognized Severus and paled. "Y-y-you…"

"Yes me, Tuney," Severus drawled. "Let us in, if you know what's good for you."

Albus put a hand on Severus's shoulder and did his best to smile politely. "We simply want to know what happened, Petunia."

Petunia opened the door wider to allow them in, only because she didn't want the neighbors to see such freaks on her doorstep. "Nothing happened! She attacked my son and then attacked my husband because he tried to punish her for it!"

"Children should not be punished for accidental magic, Petunia," Albus said gently, ignoring the fact that smoke was ready to come out of Severus's ears. "She couldn't help it."

"Couldn't help it?" Petunia spat. "She could have killed my husband!"

"What seemed to be the problem, Poppet?" Vernon Dursley asked, emerging from the kitchen with his son trailing behind him. Severus gritted his teeth by the sight of the whale of a man. He was easily three times the girl's size, and he scared her enough to cause accidental magic of a significant degree. She was found bruised.

Albus decided that it was best for himself to do as much talking as possible. While he was proud of Severus's sense of protectiveness for Kimberly, he didn't trust the potions master to be civil. "My dear friend, Cornelius, was very confused the other day. He couldn't seem to find Kimberly's room. Perhaps you can tell me where it is?"

Vernon and Petunia shared a horrified look and remained silent. Severus snorted and shook his head. "It doesn't matter. You don't need to tell us anything. _Accio Kimberly's clothes._"

Petunia yelped and seemed ready to faint when she heard the sound of Kim's clothes pushing against the cupboard door. Vernon remained stonily silent as Severus followed the faint sound. Severus felt his heart thud against his ribcage when he heard the soft thumping of the clothing trying to find its way past the small cupboard door. Lupin couldn't be right… He couldn't possibly be right…

Taking a deep breath, Severus jerked the door open. The girl's shirts and trousers flew out and fluttered to his feet in a wrinkled ball. "What is the meaning of this?" Severus demanded, too afraid to look inside.

Albus stopped by the cupboard and peeked inside, eyes grim and devoid of their usual twinkle. "It would seem that you found Kimberly's room, Severus."

Growling, Severus ignored him and stomped over to where the lovely couple was trying to ignore them at the front door. Without hesitation, he pointed his wand at Vernon's neck. "What did you do to her, Dursley?"

Vernon narrowed his eyes, focusing on the wand. He turned a sickly pink color, like a hermit crab that had just shed its skin. "Nothing she didn't deserve."

Severus jabbed his wand into the other's man's fleshy neck. With a soft scream, Petunia fainted. The boy had long since run off. "What is that supposed to mean, you son of a bitch?"

"I think…" Albus waved a camera in his hand. "I think it is time we go, Severus."

Reluctantly, Severus tore his eyes away from Vernon. "Excuse me? They—"

"Are the Ministry's problem." Gently, Albus grabbed Severus's arm and tugged it away from Vernon. "I will give these pictures to Cornelius. We can talk about it in my office."

Severus felt his eyes fill with cold fire. "Lily—"

"Cannot help her, so you must," Albus said sadly. "Using magic on Muggles is a crime, Severus. We must act like adults and figure out what to do in a civilized manner."

Slowly, Severus lowered his arm and started to leave. The old fool was right, even though Severus didn't agree in the slightest, especially when he turned to storm out and saw a satisfied smirk on Dursley's face. That smirk…it reminded him so much of his father. He froze, a thousand flashbacks zooming through his mind. Once he recovered, he swiftly turned back to Vernon and punched him in the nose, feeling blood immediately spurt out.

Not ashamed in the slightest, Severus shook his fist, flicking blood flecks on the carpet as he stepped over Petunia. "Now…now we can leave."

* * *

Kim fidgeted once they were inside of the bank, feeling guilty. She saw Remus watching her out of the corner of his eye once they entered and hoped he didn't hate her. He was always nice to her…Maybe if he hated her now, he would be mean like Uncle Vernon. She just wished he didn't ask so many questions, and when he wasn't asking questions, he was filling her head with so much information about magic that she felt overwhelmed. But she didn't want to apologize because then he would think he could start asking questions again.

She felt her eyes pop out of her head when she saw the creatures running the bank but didn't feel comfortable asking Remus what they were. She peered up at them when they stopped at a desk, wondering if they were related to the creatures that worked in the kitchens in the castle. Remus reached into his pocket and took out a key. "Hello."

The creature looked down on them and tapped its long finger on its desk. "State your business."

Remus smiled nervously and placed the key on the desk. "I-_we_ are here to make a withdrawal from Ms. Kimberly Potter's account."

The creature inspected every inch of the key, which Kim thought was bizarre since it was rather plain. Maybe he could see details that she couldn't. She supposed it made sense since apparently she could see things that the Dursleys couldn't see. Finally, the goblin nodded in approval and called out, "Griphook! Your assistance is required."

Griphook was the same as the creature at the desk, and Kim jumped back in shock when he appeared out of seemingly nowhere. Remus smiled and crouched down, whispering, "Not to worry. They're goblins. I find them a bit frightening myself, actually."

Kim stood as still as possible, not wanting to react to Remus being in such close proximity. It hurt his feelings when she flinched.

"This way!" Griphook informed them loudly, leading them to the cart to take them to the proper vault.

Kim wondered if this was what it was like to be on a roller coaster as they zipped through the bank. If so, she didn't like it. She felt as though her brain was rattling in her head. Remus only looked slightly uncomfortable and gripped the railing tightly, not talking until they were at her vault.

"I think you should only take out about forty galleons today," he informed her. "Do you know…well, let me explain the money system we use. Galleons, sickles, and knuts. They are in descending order— "

"Can we go now?" Kim asked, trying to keep her voice neutral. It sounded rather flat to her. She hated hearing about money. Uncle Vernon always complained about it or felt the need to show it off. He would complained about how much it cost to feed and clothe her but bought a new car whenever he got a raise, only to complain about how expensive it was if she spent too much time in it.

Remus frowned in confusion. "We have to make your withdrawal first."

Griphook was equally perplexed. He knew how much money was in there and wondered why the girl wasn't excited. Humans were such fickle creatures. "Just a moment."

Kim did her best to keep her face blank when the goblin opened the vault. She hated talking about money almost as much as she hated hearing about it. Teachers often gave her funny looks when she used to have to wear Dudley's old clothes even though Aunt Petunia always picked Dudley up in a nice car. In her opinion, money did nothing but embarrass her. "Okay. Let's go."

Remus tried to stay positive as they headed for the bookstore in silence. They had the whole day ahead of them, and she wasn't going to instantly bounce back after nearly ten years with the Dursleys. "What do you want to do after we get your books?"

She shrugged and looked at the ground. "Whatever you want to do."

Remus smiled sadly. "After this we'll get your Potions supplies and see where things go from there."

But the minute they set foot into the bookshop, Remus almost turned around and left. Lucius Malfoy was chatting with the store's owner while his son, probably bored out of his mind, browsed through the shelves. The boy sneered at him, staring at his patched robes. "The second hand shop is down the block."

Before Remus could nervously reply, Kim shot back, "If you're so well aquatinted with it, why don't you go there?"

Remus gaped while the pale boy turned a flushed pale pink and insisted, "I-I because I don't belong there!"

"You belong in a closet!" Kim snapped, making Remus frown. Where did that come from? They should go. Maybe it was a good thing that she was sticking up for him, but she couldn't afford to have her magic to act up now. Lucius would make sure she didn't go to Hogwarts.

The boy didn't have a chance to respond before his father tore himself away from the shop owner. Lucius put a hand on his son's shoulder. "What seems to be the problem, Draco?"

"It's nothing, Lucius," Remus tried to say as politely as possible. "You know how kids are…"

Lucius narrowed his eyes at Remus, looking ready to spit on him. "How dare you talk to me? You filthy—"

"I like your hair," Kim said sweetly. Remus slid his eyes away from Lucius and back to her. She had a smile on her face that reminded him of the time James called Walburga a fat cow and ran way laughing.

Lucius blinked in surprise. "Thank you…"

Kim only looked more like James when her smile widened. "You must get that a lot from girls my age."

Lucius's face fell, but his polished Malfoy manners did not allow his jaw to drop. His son looked up at him, waiting for him to verbally attack her or sue her or do something to ruin her life. But there was nothing he could do. It would look bad for him to try to hurt a little girl's feelings, especially Kimberly Potter's feelings. And so instead, Lucius stuck his nose in the air and said, "Come, Draco. We can make our purchases when there are more civilized customers in Flourish and Blotts."

Kim watched them go, wondering if the Queen herself could walk so regally. Once they were gone, she looked up at Remus. "Am I in trouble?"

Remus shook his head. She reminded him so much of James that it was scary sometimes. "No. Not at all."

"I get that a lot." She jerked her thumb towards the door. "From Dudley's friends mostly. I usually get sent home for the day."

Remus smiled. "Some people like to tell themselves that they are better than others."

Kim frowned, not really understanding what he was trying to tell her. Then she smiled back, and Remus felt his heart sore. That was the first time he had seen her genuinely display happiness. "I'm better than Dudley."

Remus stared for about fifteen seconds in utter shock. Lily would have had a meltdown to see such a display of arrogance. Severus would have had a field day. "You think so?"

She nodded happily, and Remus had to force himself not to laugh. "Because the guy with the girl hair thinks he's better than you, but he's not. And Dudley thinks he's better than me, but he's not. If you're better than the guy with the girl hair, then I'm better than Dudley."

Remus laughed at her twisted logic. "If you say so."

After getting Kim's textbooks, they headed off to buy her potions ingredients. Remus saw her watch in fascination as he shrunk her books and put them in his pocket but didn't say anything, wanting her to start being comfortable with asking him herself. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as he read the list of ingredients to the Potions master. "I would be careful, if I were you, Kimberly."

Kim froze from where she was leaning into a cauldron to get a closer look at the bubbling bright purple potion. Unashamedly, she turned away from the cauldron and frowned. "I don't like to be called that."

Remus blinked in surprise as the Potions master handed him the ingredients. "Really? Why didn't you say anything before?"

She shrugged as they started to walk out. "I didn't think it mattered."

"Of course it matters." Remus frowned. Maybe not to Severus. She might forever be Kimberly or, once school started, Miss Potter, to him. "What do you like to be called? Your mother liked to call you Kimmy."

She made a face as if to say, _What am I? Five._ "Well, the last time she saw me, I couldn't tell her that I don't like that either."

Remus tried to laugh, even though the truth of her statement caused a lump to form in his throat. Lily and James should be taking her to her first trip to Diagon Alley, not him. "I suppose. But you didn't answer my question."

She pursed her lips. "I like to be called Kim. Well, I like to call myself that."

"Then that is what I shall call you." Remus tried to ignore her last statement. He had hoped that she had a Muggle friend or two, but this only confirmed that she was very much alone with the Dursleys.

Kim smiled in relief. At first she thought that he wasn't going to listen to her. She looked around, as if seeing the people around them for the first time. "Why do people stare at me? Sometimes they do when I'm out with Aunt Petunia."

Remus paled but tried to keep his voice light. He was going to have to tell her before she started school. "I'm sure she isn't too pleased."

Kim hummed, and Remus dared to think she almost laughed. "That's why I like it."

"I'll tell you what..." Remus bit back a comment comparing her to James. The day was starting to get better, and he didn't want to ruin it. "I'll pick what we do next and afterwards, you pick what we do before we go home to dinner."

Kim frowned, thinking. She had no idea what she would want to do. She never had a friend to do anything with, and she had a feeling that Remus wouldn't want to go to a park and play on the swings. "What do you want to do?"

"We'll go to lunch…" _Definitely not in the Leaky Cauldron_, Remus thought. She was already getting stares. He could only image what would happen in the pub. "Do you have a favorite restaurant?"

She turned away, embarrassed. "I eat anything," she repeated.

"Okay…" Remus hoped she wasn't going to agree to eat something she didn't like just to avoid telling him. "There's a Muggle pub not far from here. We'll sneak past everyone and head off to that one."

"Why?" Kim asked, realizing that he knew why everyone stared at her. "Do people stare because I ran away, and they put me in a castle?"

"Part of it," Remus muttered as they headed through the Leakey Cauldron. She followed suit when he ducked his head down and quieted down.

Once they were outside, Kim titled her head to the side. "Or are they staring at you, because you're sick?"

Remus felt his heart clench at the thought. People would riot, if they knew. Lucius only knew because Umbridge probably told him. He hoped the bastard wouldn't release it to the press. "I hope not."

They went to a nearby pub after that, and since she already seemed uncomfortable, Remus ordered her fish and chips, at first ordering her soda to go with it but changing her drink to juice after she made a repulsed face. The waitress gave them a funny look but took their orders and scurried off.

"We could visit Ron and Ginny if you want." Remus waited for her to answer but took her silence as a no. "I really…I'm sorry to say that I don't know much about you, so I won't know what you like to do for fun unless you tell me."

Kim glared at him, like it was his fault that he didn't know when in reality, she didn't really know herself. She mostly had chores during her free time. She didn't have any toys. Most of what she did do when she wasn't busy was solitary if she wasn't trying to avoid Dudley and his gang. "I like…" She gritted her teeth. "What do _you_ like to do?"

Remus raised his eyebrows. The only thing he really did for fun lately was read. He spent most of his waking hours trying to find a job…or enough money to feed himself for the week. "When I was your age, I was too shy to really do much but stay inside and read. I met your father and-and a few other friends during my first year at Hogwarts."

She ripped at her napkin, brows scrunched together in frustration. "_I _like to play at the park by Private Drive. But I play alone and leave if there are a lot of kids."

Remus wasn't really sure how to respond to that. She didn't _seem _shy, not after talking to her a few times. Surely she must be comfortable with the children she went to school with. "Well, we can find a park and see where things go from there, if you want."

Kim looked back down at her napkin, tearing it in frustration when she realized that he was waiting for a confirmation. She wasn't used to make decisions for others. "Okay, let's go."

Remus was relieved to see that there weren't too many kids at the first park they found, but Kim was still a little wary and almost turned around. "We'll just stay for an hour," Remus promised. "And then we can go home."

Kim pouted, torn between having a fit and demanding to return to the castle and being brave and staying for an hour. All the kids were with their friends or siblings anyway… Remus didn't say she had to _talk_ to them or anything. She turned to at him. "Do you have a watch?"

Remus chuckled and looked at his watch. "It's nearly half past noon. So how about one thirty?"

Kim stared at a group of kids running around and shrieking with laughter. She looked back up at him fearfully. "And then we leave?"

"And then we leave," Remus promised.

Remus sat on a bench to watch her after that, ignoring the look of betrayal she gave him when she realized he wasn't going to stick close to her. He felt guilty, but he couldn't go to Hogwarts and sit in the classroom with her.

"Is she shy?" asked a woman who sat on the other side of the bench. She was knitting and reminded Remus strongly of Molly. She had light brown hair that was tied up in a messy bun.

Remus winced. He didn't even know and tried to stick to what he did. "She was picked on."

The woman hummed and then pointed at her son, who was on the other side of the swings looking torn between playing in the dirt or heading over to the sandbox. "My boy has always been quiet. Teachers always tried to put some sort of label on him. I just let him be. As long as he's happy, right?"

Remus frowned as Kim sat on a swing, trying not to be noticed. She didn't look happy. "I don't want her to be lonely."

The woman shook her head. "Let her be lonely. Then she'll find the courage make friends." She smiled as her son slowly walked over to Kim. "You see?"

Remus tensed, waiting for Kim to lash out on the poor boy. She looked at him coolly but thankfully didn't say anything and let him sit on the swing next to her. "If only it were always that easy."

"Don't teach her to make friends," she advised. "Teach her to be brave."

_No, I need to teach her to trust people, _Remus thought. He couldn't just throw her into situations like this all the time. She would never learn to trust him then. But before Remus could disagree, he heard a happy twinkly sound that made his heart stop. Lily's laugh.

"See?" The woman smiled as Kim and her son started a contest to see who could swing the highest. "She just needs to be brave enough to be happy."

* * *

Remus fidgeted in Severus's office later that night. The potions master's hand was slightly swollen, and Remus was dying to ask what happened. Sighing, Severus signed the letter that he just completed. "The Ravenclaw NEWTs students are already asking me for the year's syllabus."

"Oh…" Remus nodded, not really knowing what else to say. He wasn't sure how to ask what they found because part of him didn't want to know. Today had been a good day, once they left the bank, and what Severus was going to tell him would only ruin it.

Finally, Severus tore his eyes away from the meaningless letter he had just written. Thoroughly frustrated, Severus threw his quill across the room, causing Remus to jump in his seat with shock. "She slept in a fucking cupboard, Lupin."

Remus blinked in surprise, not expecting that at all. "What?"

Severus sneered. "As in a closet, small room under the stairs, the place where you stuff your winter jumpers."

"Wh-why?" Remus felt his heart pounding in his ears. Suddenly, everything made sense. No wonder she was so adamant about having a room. She was embarrassed about having to live in a cupboard.

Severus rolled his eyes. "What do you mean why? Lupin, they are absolutely foul. There is nothing a ten year old girl could have possible done to deserve—"

"That's not what I meant," Remus snapped. "She…She may be a handful, but she's just a kid…They have no reason to dislike her so—"

"Petunia resents her sister and will do whatever her husband says," Severus stated bluntly. "I haven't seen Petunia in nearly fifteen years, but that much about her is clear. Vernon is a bully. I really don't know what else their problem is because Albus forced me to leave before I could properly hex them."

Remus was silent for a moment. _Sirius would have killed them_, he thought, ashamed for even thinking of the traitor. Sirius actually could care less, if he was even sane enough to understand the situation. "What do we do now?"

Severus felt his black eyes become distant. He was supposed to hate the girl. She was the result of Potter's union with Lily. She had _his_ eyes, the very eyes that laughed at him for seven years. When the Dark Lord returned, he was going to have to pretend to want her dead. What was going to be his excuse for taking her in?

"I don't know," he finally answered, speaking more to himself than Remus.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I'm updating so early because a guest reviewer named Me said that Vernon wouldn't have medical bills so I changed it in the previous chapter to 'destroyed furniture' in the scene when Fudge was in Dumbledore's office. I'm not from the UK, so I always welcome advice! And I'm trying to find out what is the best day to update. I read somewhere it was Sunday night. :) Please review!**


	7. The Traitor

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

Chapter 7 The Traitor

Sirius was spending his morning like every other morning for the past nine years: staring listlessly at nothing and trying to keep the horrible memories of his past from driving him insane. He couldn't remember the last time he spoke and had bothered screaming because of the dementors for years.

He didn't even notice Bellatrix until her face was centimeters away from his face. She grinned, showing off blackened, decaying teeth. "'Ello, Siri! Did you read the paper this morning?"

Sirius slowly turned his face to meet her cold eyes yet blazing eyes. He wondered if he should waste energy to even speak to her, but curiosity got the best of him. Bellatrix hadn't bothered to torment him in over eight years. "No."

Bellatrix giggled, only stopping when a dementor glided near her. The dark creature sucked away some happiness and moved on with so little sound that Sirius could almost ignore it. "Well, _I_ did."

Sirius was met with silence. For the first time in years, he felt frustrated, realizing that she was waiting for him to ask her. "And?"

"And…" Again, Sirius had to bare witness to that disgusting smile. "And my buddy Severus has become a daddy!"

Sirius gagged at the thought of Severus reproducing. "Wonderful."

Bellatrix batted her eyelashes at him, still smiling. "Don't you want to hear his little girl's name?"

"No." Sirius didn't know why he head even bothered. Bellatrix probably made this up.

"Oh really?" Bellatrix waved a fresh newspaper in his face. "One of the ickle guardies dropped this when they were inspecting the wards! Just missed the rubbish bin!"

Annoyed, Sirius snatched the paper out of her hands. He almost crumbled it into a ball to throw in her face when he saw the black and white photograph out the corner of his eye. She looked just like Lily but with darker eyes. "No…"

"Is that the only word you know, Siri?" Bellatrix held in a giggle to keep the dementors away. "Sevi and Kimmy! I read that your wolfie is with them too. I wonder if Sev is befriending them to gain their trust. So when our master returns…" She made a motion across her neck as if cutting her own throat. "I wonder if he'll make the wolf watch as the Dark Lord kills her."

"Remus…" Sirius felt a swirl of emotions at the thought of Remus. "Remus would never allow Snape to…"

Bellatrix cackled and pointed at the newspaper. "It seems he already has! Do you think he—"

But Bellatrix was never able to finish her sentence because the dementors could no longer resist her glee. They swarmed in on the two cousins and had a feast.

* * *

"Why did you tell that boy that he belonged in a closet?" Remus asked gently when he found Kim exploring the library the following morning.

Kim froze and turned around to face him. "Because I didn't like him."

"I know." Remus tried to smile. "But it is a rather odd thing to say. Don't you think?"

Her face turned dark red, realizing that she was caught. She should have known! Severus was acting funny at dinner last night. They knew. Kim felt her eyes water when she realized how high her voice was when she yelled, "He was mean!"

Knowing Madame Pince was going to have a fit, Remus ignored the floating books around him. He winced when one hit him, wondering if it was going to leave a bruise. "But that doesn't mean he deserved to be locked in a closet. It must be horrible."

Kim glared at him and took a step back. "N-no, it isn't!"

"You didn't deserve it." Remus ducked when a book flew at his head. He was beginning to wonder if he should have said anything at all. "And I am sorry that you were forced to sleep in one."

"I HAD A ROOM!" she screamed, vision too blurred with tears to see Remus crouch and cover his face with his arms as several books shot at him.

Panting slightly, Remus felt his heart sink when he looked to his left and his right. There were hundreds of books floating in the air surrounding them. "You-you have a room now. With Severus and I. You'll never go back in the cupboard again."

She looked like she didn't believe him. Her eyes were still full of tears and distrust, face red with effort not to cry. However, the books slowly started to descend, and a few even went back to their proper places on the shelves. "Promise?"

Remus blinked in surprise. He couldn't always promise that she would be with him and Severus, considering his illness and Severus's hatred of James, but he could make sure that she would never be forced to sleep in a cupboard again. "Promise."

Albus cleared his throat, making Remus jump. How long had he been behind them? He was smiling and ignored all the books on the floor. "It seems we have a bit of a problem, Remus."

Remus frowned. What could possibly be wrong now? "Sir?"

Albus peered behind him at Kim, who was hiding behind Remus in an attempt to avoid getting in trouble. "Mrs. Weasley would like you over for breakfast, Kimberly. Did you know that Molly makes the best French toast that I have ever tasted? And I've been all over the world."

Kim glared at him. "I'm not going back."

Albus opened his mouth to ask why until he realized that she wasn't talking about the Burrow. "This isn't about the Dursleys. Someone is demanding Remus's presence, and Severus will not have it."

Kim eyes quickly changed from resentful to mischievous. "Because he's jealous!"

Albus chuckled. "Perhaps."

Remus paled, knowing where this was going. "Albus…"

"So, will you go to the Weasleys while Remus assures Severus that he has nothing to worry about?" Albus asked, eyes twinkling. He hoped Remus and Severus would eventually develop a close friendship.

Kim frowned. If Severus had told Remus about the cupboard, who was to say that he didn't tell Mrs. Weasley? And what if she told Ron and Ginny, or worse Fred and George? Surely, they would make fun of her for it. "Maybe…"

Albus paused for a moment, and Kim wondered if he was using magic to read her mind. Her eyes widened at his next words. "What Severus and I found yesterday is very private. He wouldn't tell anyone, unless he thought it would help you."

But Kim still didn't believe him. "Can I just stay here?"

Albus smiled sadly. "Madame Pince has an even worse temper than Severus when it comes to her books."

Scowling, she kicked one of them. "I don't care."

Sensing another tantrum coming on, Remus quickly compromised. "How about this? I'll take you to the Weasleys, and if they show any indication that they know what Severus found, you can floo back with me, and I'll drop you off at the library."

Kim pursed her lips and looked at the ground, considering this. "Fine," she mumbled.

* * *

"You spoil the girl," Severus commented dryly when Remus returned from the floo.

Remus raised his eyebrows, slightly annoyed. "Really? Because she just did what she was told without screaming, having a fit of accidental magic, or running off."

Severus snorted. "She has you wrapped around her little finger, Lupin."

Remus rolled his eyes, even though he thought Severus was kind of right. "If I have to spend a few minutes with the Weasleys to make her feel safe, then I'm going to do it."

"Now, now boys," Albus chided before they could start arguing. "I think we have more pressing matters to deal with."

Severus's annoyed expression darkened. "Why should we give in to the demands of a criminal?"

"Sirius…" Remus breathed out as if he were repeating a word from an unknown language.

"While I do not think Sirius deserves answers..." Albus sighed. He had never expected Sirius to go Dark. "I do believe Remus does."

"Answers?" Severus repeated. "Do you know how this will look, Albus? I will not have her thrown back under the stairs because Lupin feels the need to have a lovers' quarrel. Why are the guards even listening to Black's demands?"

"They insist that it is because they fear that Black will incite riot." Albus paused. Did the Ministry really think he was that stupid? "But I believe they are still trying to condemn Remus. They will be monitoring all conversation."

"He…" Remus ran his hands through his hair. "Sometimes I like to believe that he didn't do it. That there was some other explanation. Like he was Imperiused or something."

"Well, he did," Severus spat. "And if you ask him why, he'll only laugh in your face Lupin. Unless the Ministry is right and—"

"Do not go there," Remus growled. "I am nothing without them and if you think for one second that I…" He couldn't even bring himself to finish his sentence. "It doesn't matter. I'm not going."

"I fear, my boy..." Albus placed his hands on his desk, eyes becoming a little distant. "I fear that if you don't do this, you'll regret it. Black isn't going to live forever. He's long surpassed his Azkaban life expectancy. He won't always be there to confront."

"What is there to confront, Albus?" Severus almost yelled as the past nine years of grief started boiling up. "Black was more loyal to the Dark Lord than his friends."

"That's the thing," Remus said quietly. "Sirius would never—"

"But he did," Severus replied darkly.

"There will be aurors present," Albus said softly. "They want answers as well. Black was never given a trial, so no one really knows exactly what happened."

"No matter what happened, the outcome is the same." Severus didn't understand why Albus wanted Lupin to talk to that traitor so badly. It wasn't like Black was going to declare himself innocent, and Lily would simply pop out of the grave.

Albus nodded sadly but turned to Remus. "Please consider it, Remus."

"I…" Remus felt his throat close up as all the memories of nine years ago came rushing back. "I don't know. Sirius, I-I mean…I wasn't even there when he was arrested. He had went to check on Peter after dinner one night and then… I mean, he was so _normal_. A little distant, but normal. He had been distant for months, but I thought it was because of all my secret missions. I only saw him in the papers after that. He didn't even _look_ like Sirius."

"He looked like who he truly is," Severus snapped. "You know who gave him the news article? Bellatrix! Thick as thieves they are."

Remus felt his eyes widen in disbelief. Sirius despised her so much that he could never even say her name. It was always 'that bitch' or 'the she-devil'. "But they hate each other. Sirius—"

Severus gritted his teeth. "For the last time, you didn't know Black."

"I…how could he after ten years of friendship?" Remus put his face in his hands. "James was his brother! He loved Lily and Kim and—"

"Don't you dare consider it, Lupin!" Severus shouted.

"Severus," Albus said patiently. "There is no harm in—"

"There is if Lupin believes whatever lies come spewing out of Black's mouth!" Severus yelled. He turned to Remus, absolutely seething. "If you come back from that God forsaken place declaring that Black is innocent and deserves a trial, you will _never_ see Kimberly again."

Mouth dry, Remus nodded. "I understand."

* * *

Severus picked Kim up, surprised to find her waiting at the floo instead of playing with the Weasley brood. "Come on. You have a mess to clean up in the library."

"Fine," Kim replied in a clipped tone as Molly came bustling in the room. She faltered, expecting Remus.

"Oh." Molly did her best to smile. "She-she ate…" Severus frowned when the girl gave Molly a dark look, causing the woman to flinch. "I…Well, I'll write to you later, Severus."

Severus nodded as he led Kim to the floo. "Don't start when we get back."

Kim didn't say a word until lunch. She silently put all the books in the library back under the watchful eye of Madame Pince. It was very clear that she was angry when she sat down for lunch, but Severus and Remus were too preoccupied with Sirius Black to question it.

"And what seems to be bothering _you_ Kimberly?" Albus asked kindly. "Everyone seems a little down today."

Kim glared at him. "I wanted to come back."

"Oh? And why was that?" Albus smiled as if her anger did faze him in the slightest.

Kim gritted her teeth and pounded her fist on the table. "Because Severus and Remus are liars! That's why!"

Albus looked to both men. Remus tensed, guiltily thinking that there were multiple things she could be talking about while Severus tried to cover up his curiosity with indifference and simply rolled his eyes. "Sometimes people lie to spare the feelings of others."

Kim rose from her seat. "Remus said that Severus didn't tell Mrs. Weasley anything! And he did! It's not true! Severus made it up!"

"I told Mrs. Weasley nothing!" Severus snapped, having enough of overemotional Gryffindors for one day. "And I did not make anything up."

"Yes you _did_!" Kim saw her glass of milk start to float in the air and grabbed it, throwing it on the floor. "And Remus swore that you didn't say anything!"

Severus rose out of his seat, looking down on her. "The only thing that Molly knows is what was in the papers, which is that you ran off, that the Dursleys are currently under investigation, and that I have custody of you. She hasn't even asked for details, and I would never give them to her."

"LIAR!" she screamed. "I always had enough to eat!"

She was met with silence that was so still that it was almost as if time stopped. Finally, Remus spoke. "Molly…Molly shows affection to those she cares about by feeding them. She tells everyone that they are too thin."

Kim shook her head, breathing heavily and torn between screaming and crying. "No. She only told me! Severus—"

"I only knew about the cupboard," Severus said quietly.

Kim picked up her plate and threw it at the floor. "Liar! You used the magic! But you saw nothing true! I had a room, and I had food, and they- and they love me!" she wailed.

Remus felt himself turn as white as a sheet. There was no way he had it in him to deny that last one. "I—"

"And she wouldn't let me go home through the floo like you said I could, so you lied again!" she shrieked, tears streaming down her face.

"I didn't know—"

"You said I could go home!" Scrubbing her tears away with her arm, Kim ran off, not wanting to see any of them for the rest of the night.

"That went well," Albus said once she was out of earshot.

Remus stared while Severus drained the rest of his wine. "Did we just witness the same scene, Albus? She had a meltdown!"

Albus nodded to the Great Hall door that Kim had just slammed. "Didn't you hear her, my boy? She said she wanted to go _home._"

"Oh, wonderful," Severus drawled. "As long as she feels at home, let's just ignore what she just said, how she just acted."

"We need to focus on the positives, Severus," Albus insisted. "She calls the castle home _and_ her magic only reacted minimally, which is progress, considering this morning."

Severus laughed bitterly. "She won't testify. Having a child sleep in a cupboard is not child abuse, unless she was trapped there against her will for long periods of time. The Ministry will not give Muggles truth serum without evidence."

"She can't go back," Remus said hoarsely.

Albus looked down on his plate. She was going to have to. But that was a conversation that he could hold off until next summer. "We have to make her realize that she has nothing to be ashamed of."

Severus refilled his wine goblet with his wand and drained it again, wanting to leave and sleep the memories of the day away. "Good luck. She thinks we're all traitors. I would wait until morning. Maybe by then, she will realize how childishly she acted."

* * *

Kim found herself hiding in her room the next morning. She couldn't believe that she was so stupid! She should have never admitted to anything. Severus hadn't even known until she blurted it out like a fool.

Now that she thought about it, if she was hiding, she should have hid in the bathroom, where it would be assumed that she was indecent. Then Severus wouldn't burst in like he did in her room. "Up. Every time you have a tantrum, you miss a meal. I will not have you miss another."

Kim glared at him. "I do not have tantrums," she grumbled.

"You threw your plate and goblet and wouldn't let anyone properly speak to you," he stated. "What is your definition of a tantrum?"

Kim felt her face heat up. "Dudley kicks the teacher."

Severus folded his arms over his chest. "Well you are not Dudley. And I hope that you will hold yourself to a higher standard than he does."

"What does that mean?" she asked with a frown.

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose, realizing that he job as a teacher never seemed to end. "It means that you shouldn't behave badly just because he gets what he wants by acting like an animal. If you want something or simply want to be heard, you do not have to scream or throw a fit. Speak politely and clearly in order to get what you want."

She pursed her lips, thinking hard. "I want… I want to be _normal_."

Severus felt that guiltily flutter in his chest. That was impossible, given her fame, even if the Dark Lord wasn't a threat. But he couldn't tell her no. "Then, we will do our best to attain that goal."

* * *

The week went by pretty smoothly after that, though Remus wished Kim would talk to him more. But alas, her words were mainly reserved for Ron and Ginny when Remus would take her over to the Burrow every other day. Severus insisted that she be socialized as much as possible.

Remus and Molly usually listened in while they played outside. Molly smiled. "She doesn't like gnomes much. At first I thought she did…"

"I think she likes chasing them." Remus chuckled as she tried to tackle one but fell in the dirt. She got up and started running after it without hesitation.

Molly nearly missed a stitch from the jumper she was knitting when Ginny popped out of the bush, roared, and jumped the poor gnome that Kim was chasing. "Well…At least they are working together."

"Ah yes, there's that." Ron grabbed the gnome by the feet as Kim and Ginny giggled. Remus wasn't sure whether to laugh or be concerned. "Although they are acting a bit barbaric, I might say."

Once the gnome was securely tossed, Kim ran up to them. "Remus!" She pointed at her knee, which was skinned, bloody, and caked with dirt. "Fix it with the magic!"

"Oh Merlin!" Remus turned away. Lily often said he was too squeamish for children.

But Mrs. Weasley didn't bat an eye. "I have a salve for it, deary. And you don't need to add 'the' before magic. You can simply say, 'Can you fix it with magic, _please_?' I'm surprised Fred and George haven't said anything to you."

Cautiously, Kim followed her into the house, a little nervous because Remus didn't follow. "I don't like those two," she mumbled. "They're mean."

"Yes…" Mrs. Weasley sighed. "They can be mean. They _think_ they are funny. I don't think their intent is to hurt anyone's feelings."

Kim stopped in the kitchen, watching Mrs. Weasley dampen a cloth at the sink. Was this what it is like to have a mum? "They don't hurt _my_ feelings," she insisted.

"Good." Mrs. Weasley pulled out a chair. "I need to get the dirt off, first."

Narrowing her eyes, Kim sat in the chair, not even wincing when the wet cloth touched her scrapped knee. "But they hurt Ron's, so I don't like them."

Mrs. Weasley froze. She could never get the twins to stop picking on her Ronnie. "I know. I try to stop them, but they don't seem to listen to me."

"They listen to me," Kim informed her. "When I throw rocks at them."

"Do they now?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she summoned the salve and applied it to the scrape. She really didn't want their children having rocks thrown at them, but it was better than a hex once Ron started school. "Perhaps they will learn their lesson then."

Kim scowled. They still played a joke on Ron whenever she was around. "I'm still working on that part."

* * *

At dinner a few nights later, Kim could tell something was up. Severus was giving Remus more dirty looks than usual, and he didn't even say anything when she spilled pumpkin juice on the table and didn't bother to clean it up. When she flung a pea at Remus to see if Severus would react, Remus only gave her the smallest of smiles. Severus said nothing.

Albus decided to fill her in. "Remus is visiting someone tomorrow."

Kim tore her eyes away from Severus and Remus. "So?"

Severus glared at Remus. "So you will be spending the day with me."

"I'm not _that_ bad," Kim said hotly.

Albus laughed softly. "Severus is simply worried about Remus. That is all."

"But he has no reason to be," Remus added quickly.

Severus rolled his eyes, deciding to get revenge. "And Kimberly will be with more civilized company than the Weasleys while you are gone."

Kim stared, not seeing Remus pale slightly. "I like being uncivilized."

"I can tell," Severus said coolly, frowning at the stain on her shirt. "My friend has a boy your age. You will spend the day with him."

Kim fidgeted in her seat. She didn't like meeting new people, especially new people who sounded nothing like Ron or Ginny. "Does he like gnomes?"

Remus laughed bitterly and shook his head. "He—"

"He will be here after breakfast," Severus cut him off, dropping the subject. Kim sighed. Hopefully this boy wasn't grumpy like Severus, and hopefully, Remus wouldn't take so long visiting his friend.

* * *

Severus couldn't help but feel smug as he and Kimberly waited for Lucius and Draco to show up. That will teach Lupin to run off with Black. "Make sure to be polite."

Kim made a noise that was a mixture of laughter and frustration. "I didn't even _do_ anything yet!"

"Yet…" Severus repeated with a scowl.

They were waiting at Hogwarts Gates, and when Lucius and Draco showed up, he almost turned around and left. That look…the look that the boy gave Kimberly strongly reminded him of how Potter looked at Lily when they first met on the train twenty years ago. It was disgusting.

And, to his horror, he could have sworn that Kimberly was returning the look. Her eyes were wide, and she looked so stunned and innocent, like how princesses were described in fairytales when they met Prince Charming for the first time. Severus nearly gagged, thinking that they would have to have a brick wall between them by the time puberty hit. That is, until she pushed poor Draco into the dirt.

"Make fun of Remus again, and I'll feed you to the gnomes!" she told the stunned boy.

It took Severus nearly half a minute to recover. "Apologize."

"I think it's time we leave," Lucius said at the same time.

Kim folded her arms over her chest, feeling stubborn. "Why should I? He didn't say sorry to Remus."

"Wh-who?" Draco asked fearfully, still on the ground.

Kim stuck her nose up in the air. "My other dad. I have two. Like the boy at school with two mums." She said this proudly as if she were announcing that she had two solid gold statues of Merlin. "And you were mean to him."

"For the last time, Lupin and I are not in a romantic relationship!" Severus snarled, ignoring Lucius, who was laughing at him. "I do not care what Draco did! That does not give you permission to resort to physical violence."

But Kim remained silent and simply pouted, not caring in the slightest that Severus was glaring at her in a way that brought children older than her to tears. Equally stubborn, Severus didn't say a word and waited until she got bored. He almost rolled his eyes when Lucius was the first to start fidgeting.

Finally, after nearly five minutes, Kim turned her dark eyes to Draco. "You don't have to stay on the ground, you know."

Flinching, Draco scrambled to his feet and looked at the ground. "You didn't tell me who you were the other week," he mumbled.

"Would it have mattered?" she shot back, while Severus was trying not to yell at her. She wasn't even close to apologizing.

Draco blinked in surprise. "Of course it would have mattered! You're Kimberly Potter, the Girl Who—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, The Girl Who Ran Away." Kim wrinkled her nose as if his scent revolted her. "But you're material-material…"

"Materialistic," Severus filled in for her. "And this sounds nothing like an apology, Kimberly."

"Materialistic!" Kim spat as if it were a curse word, ignoring Severus's last sentence. "Remus is so nice, and you are so mean!"

"Kimberly," Severus warned.

Rolling her eyes, Kim looked at a tree in the distance and mumbled, "I'm sorry I pushed you in the dirt."

"_And_?" Severus prompted, wishing Lucius wasn't looking so smug. The poor girl was practically choking on her pride.

Kim glowered defiantly. "And?"

"It is unacceptable to make threats, Kimberly," Severus stated calmly.

Kim folded her arms over her chest and rocked back on her heels slightly. "He made fun of Remus's clothes!"

"They were covered in patches!" Draco yelled indignantly. Severus closed his eyes, irritated. Did the boy want to get pushed again?

"And your clothes looked like your mum dressed you this morning!" Kim yelled. She liked that Remus's clothes were so worn. To her, it meant that such things didn't matter to him. The only reason her clothes weren't worn was because Aunt Petunia swapped them out at the second hand store when they got too small.

Draco's face turned an angry pink color. "At least I have a mum to dress me."

Severus felt his black eyes flash with anger. All thoughts of making Kim apologize went out the window. He could tell that Lucius wasn't even thinking about reprimanding his son. "Come on, Kimberly. Lucius is right. I think it is time that Draco left."

Kim kicked a large pebble at Draco's feet. "Not until _he_ apologizes."

"That was uncalled for Draco," Lucius chided gently. Severus bit back a curse when he saw laughter in the man's eyes. This was far from funny.

And Draco saw this too and was encouraged to smirk. "Well, she did threaten me."

"Gnomes have very stumpy teeth," she said darkly. "I would have to mash you up to jelly before feeding you to them."

Severus suddenly wished Narcissa was here. She would know what to do. At this rate, the children were going to kill each other by lunch. "Kimberly, you do realize that you are only making the situation worse."

Kim looked up at him, betrayed. He was supposed to be on _her _side. "How come I have to apologize for _everything_, and he has to apologize for nothing?"

Severus paused. He couldn't favor her in front of Lucius. That would be a disaster, considering that Draco was just about to start school. And so, taking a leaf out of Albus's book, he took the cryptic route. "Perhaps because he is like Dudley."

Unfortunately, Kimberly was equally as baffled as Lucius and Draco. She looked at Draco as if his weight would balloon before her eyes. Severus was about to give up all hope when a little light bulb when off in her head. She smiled in a way that only the arrogant James Potter could smile.

"I'm sorry I threatened you," she said so sweetly that Severus almost believed it was sincere.

Both Lucius and Draco were confounded by her sudden change of demeanor. However, Lucius would never miss an opportunity to stomp all over someone's pride, no matter how small he or she was. He laughed, infuriatingly smug, and pushed Draco forward gently. "Go on, son. Accept her apology."

Draco bit his lip. There was this upset feeling in his chest that he couldn't identify. Whatever it was, he never felt it before. "Do you like to play chess?"

* * *

After nearly an hour of being checked by Ministry Security, Remus almost wanted to go home. Almost. But after all these years, he really wanted to know why. They could have been so happy. Why did Sirius have to ruin it?

He sat at an old wooden table in a Ministry interrogation room. His heart was thudding in his chest as he waited for Sirius. He wondered if the aurors were watching behind a one way mirror or if they were in the room, hiding under invisibility cloaks or Disillusionment Charms. Finally, after what felt like ages, Sirius showed up, being dragged by two aurors.

His hair was past his shoulders, so dirty that Remus wondered if Azkaban ever forced the inmates to clean themselves. His grey eyes were dead at first, only sparking to life when they focused on Remus, who was practically frozen in his seat.

The aurors threw Sirius in the room and locked the door behind them. Remus gulped. "Sirius…"

"I didn't think they were going to listen to me," Sirius rasped. "I screamed for hours before they bothered to talk to me."

"They want to see if they can find some way to arrest me." Remus smiled bitterly. "Because I was so close to you back then. Or so I thought."

Sirius looked away and started mumbling to himself as he slowly sat across from Remus. "I…I thought _you_ were the spy."

Remus felt his blood run cold. "What?"

Sirius gulped. "You-you were always gone. You wouldn't tell me where you were. I was too spineless to confront you."

"What is wrong with you?" Remus breathed out. "You-you ruined everything. Lily and James and Peter… They're gone forever. And you are trying to blame _me?_"

"No." Sirius looked at the table and put his shaking hands in his lap. "You aren't to blame."

Remus shook his head. "I wanted answers, but now I see that your mind is too scrambled to say anything that makes sense."

"What doesn't make sense is that you would let Snivellus around Kimmy," Sirius spat. "And what about—?"

"Didn't you hear me? You ruined everything!" Remus yelled. "I couldn't raise children by law! I-I tried and made everything worse! I have no idea what's been happening these past ten years!"

"What…" Sirius ran his hands through his matted, dirty hair. "What have you done?"

"I tried to fix your mess," Remus growled. "You-you _killed_ everyone. Why-why did you leave me? Why did you try to kill everyone but me? I-I don't understand…"

Sirius's frantic eyes met Remus's defeated ones. "It wasn't me," he whispered urgently. "It was the rat! The rat—"

"How dare you?" Remus asked, rising from his seat. "I…I don't even know why I bothered. You clearly don't even know what happened."

As Remus tried to leave, Sirius grabbed his arm with a surprisingly strong grip. "I will make it right, Remus! I swear it! I just need to find the rat! I will find the rat, and everything will be alright!"

Gritting his teeth, Remus ripped his arm out of Sirius's grasp. "Good luck with that," he said sarcastically. "Now if you will excuse me, I have to go. I should have never wasted my time with you."

Once he was gone, Sirius put his face in his hands and cried for the first time since he held James and Lily's dead bodies in his arms.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	8. The Werewolf

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

Chapter 8 The Werewolf

Kim frowned in the library the next day as she tried to find a book to read. Remus was being awfully quiet. "Was your friend mean to you?" she asked.

Remus flinched at her referencing Sirius as his friend. "You could say that."

Kim ran her fingers over the spines of several books as they browsed through the aisles. She wondered if Remus's friend only pretended to be his friend, like Piers did with her when Dudley stayed home from school. "You don't need 'im."

Remus smiled sadly. "I suppose I don't."

Kim pulled a book out, skimming through the pages and frowning when she realized it wasn't written in English. "Draco was a prat. Why didn't you tell me he was the boy from the shop?"

Remus laughed softly at the thought of Severus's reaction to that. He imagined that Kim and the youngest Malfoy weren't fast friends. "Draco is Severus's godson. The boy can do no wrong in the man's eyes. Severus wouldn't react too kindly if I had told you."

Kim wrinkled her nose as she gently slid the book back into its place. "He looked at me funny."

"Maybe he likes you." Remus felt his eyes dance with the laughter he was holding in. Her face only scrunched up with more revulsion until Remus couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he choked out in between laughs. "I've never seen you look so disgusted!"

"He doesn't even like to play outside!" she replied hotly, as if that settled the matter. "And he's rude."

"He sounds like a terrible suitor indeed," Remus said with only a twinge of laughter still in his voice.

Kim rolled her eyes. "Draco said that we would be friends if I was in Slytherin. But Severus wouldn't tell me what that meant! He said that you were bound to tell me eventually, but he seemed rather angry about you telling me. And I said, 'If Remus won't tell me properly, then you should tell me.' But he got all grumpy and made us eat lunch."

"Perhaps he was just hungry," Remus joked while inside his heart clenched. He wouldn't be surprised if Kim was placed in Slytherin. "Slytherin is a…group. Students are split into four groups."

"Is Slytherin Severus's group?" Kim wondered. "'Cause he seems _really_ defensive about it."

Remus smiled. "Yes. The groups are called Houses. You are placed in a House based on your personality."

"Hmmm…" Kim stood on her tip toes to try to get a peek at the books above her. "Is Slytherin full of grumpy rude people? Because Draco and Severus are both a pair of grouches, if I ever met some."

"You could say that." Remus could hear James in his head, wanting to add a bunch of other adjectives to the description of Slytherins. But Lily wouldn't want her daughter to hear any of them. "They have…a _stigma _attached to them."

"What does that mean?" she instantly asked, reminding Remus that she wasn't even eleven yet.

Remus frowned. This was going to be difficult, considering that he had never really gotten along with a Slytherin. "Remember when I said that Houses were based on personality? Everyone… people tend to think members of Slytherin aren't very nice."

Kim pouted. "Then I guess I'll be in Slytherin. Not many people think I'm nice."

Remus laughed at her twisted logic. "Not necessarily. Witches and wizards in Slytherin are judged so because they have a certain… intelligence about them. They know how to read people and therefore, can easily manipulate them."

Kim shook her head like she didn't believe him. "Draco isn't very good at reading people. I beat him at chess! Even though I never played with the live ones before! And I _never_ beat Mrs. Figg at chess, unless she lets me win. And she only lets me win if one of her cats scratches me."

Not wanting to further explain the characteristics of Slytherins, Remus opted to change the subject by teasing her. "Perhaps he let you win… because he likes you."

"He-he does _not!_"

* * *

Later that night, Remus was pacing Albus's office. "Why don't they ever tell us they're coming?"

"So you can't coach her into saying anything," Albus told him gently. Severus was with Fudge while Dolores was with Kim. They were trying to close the case by the end of summer, but unfortunately, their only evidence was a picture of Kim's stuff and an old mattress in a cupboard. They needed her testimony.

"I want her to tell the truth." Remus rubbed at his eyes. Just thinking about what was going on a few doors away was exhausting him. "I want her to know that she doesn't have to be afraid or embarrassed about telling the truth."

Albus sighed. He could tell by the look on Kim's face at the sight of Umbridge that that wasn't going to happen. "Either way, she is staying here for the summer."

Kim glared at Dolores. The lady had asked a million questions, and Kim had refused to answer any of them. She wasn't about to admit that she didn't have a room or that the Dursleys didn't like her, let alone love her. Why should she? Dolores was nasty to say the least. She'd sooner tell Draco's weird dad.

Dolores smiled prettily. "If you don't answer any of my questions, sweetheart, I can't help you."

"Maybe I don't want your help," Kim mumbled stubbornly.

Dolores sighed sadly, but Kim saw a gleeful glint in the woman's eyes that made her shiver. "Well, I suppose it's for the best. It is unsafe for you to be so close to Mr. Lupin."

Kim looked away, only more uncomfortable. Remus was so nice to her! Anything that spewed out of this woman's mouth was pure garbage. "I don't care."

"Really?" Dolores asked incredulously, trying to focus on the chipped pink paint on one of her nails to keep from giggling. "I would think that you would be afraid, spending so much time with a werewolf."

Kim whipped her head back to Dolores. So that's what Remus was hiding… She didn't really know what to say to that since her only knowledge of werewolves was from pop culture. And was Dolores even telling the truth? Kim didn't trust her nearly as much as she trusted Remus. Dolores was probably just trying to scare her. "I like Remus."

"Every full moon," Dolores went on like a teenage gossiper. "He turns into a feral animal. He would kill you if you crossed his path. So you are much safer with your aunt."

"Can I go now?" Kim asked (demanded). She didn't understand how anyone expected her to open up to this woman. Even Severus expected her too. When they showed up, he gave her this look that practically screamed, _Tell them!_

Dolores nodded, trying to look disappointed, but Kim could see that she was having a hard time keeping herself from laughing. "Of course. If you ever want to talk again, all you have to do is write."

Kim hopped out of her chair and practically ran to the door. At least Dolores learned her lesson this time and didn't lock it. How on earth did Dolores believe that Kim would want to talk to her? Just the thought made her heart clench with anxiety.

Within minutes, she ran into Remus and Severus. Severus raised his eyebrows at her. "Well?"

"Well?" Kim repeated nervously, trying not to stare at Remus. Could he turn into a wolf right now if he wanted to?

"How did it go?" Severus sounded like he was losing patience… more so than usual.

"Uh…" Kim looked at Remus and her face must have not been as blank as she thought because he paled. "Uh… I don't like Dolores."

Severus frowned. She wasn't taking her eyes off Lupin, who looked like he was ready to pass out. "What did she say?"

Kim closed her eyes to stop herself from staring at Remus and shook her head. "Nothing. She's just annoying."

"Did…" Remus took a deep breath, starting to feel clammy. He really wished he hadn't registered with the Ministry. Legally, they weren't supposed to say anything. However, that part of the law was hardly ever enforced. "Did she say anything about me?"

Kim opened her eyes. "No." she lied quickly. "She said stuff about Severus."

Severus snorted. The girl was a horrible liar. "I seriously doubt that Kimberly."

Kim blushed. Remus was getting upset. Severus wouldn't care if she said something about him! He had tougher skin than Remus! "She asked if you were a pedophile!"

"What?" Severus knew she was lying but still couldn't believe his ears. All he wanted her to do was explain what happened at the Dursleys, damn it! Not many children get an opportunity like this. He sure didn't. Severus couldn't understand why she was so embarrassed, even though to this day he had trouble uttering his father's name.

Kim opened her mouth to recite a textbook definition. "We learned at school that a pedophile is—"

"I know what a pedophile is!" Severus snarled.

Kim blinked, not expecting him to get so offended. "Oh. Well, I told her that you weren't."

"You don't have to lie to spare my feelings," Remus muttered, wondering if he should start packing his things.

Kim folded her arms over her chest, resisting the urge to stamp her feet. "I wasn't!"

"Alright, fine." Severus threw his hands up in the air. "What else happened?"

Kim thinned her lips. She hated that she was disappointing Severus, but she hated Dolores too much to be vulnerable with her. "It's not fair. I don't like her."

Severus and Remus shared a look, and Severus had to count in his head to keep himself from swearing. "Would you say anything if it was someone else?"

Kim remained silent. Probably not. Frustrated, she started to storm off, wanting to scream when Remus and Severus only followed her. It wasn't fair! Why did she have to tell everyone her secrets to get away from the Dursleys? Why couldn't she just say she didn't like them and didn't want to live there? "Stop following me!"

"This isn't simply going to disappear, Kimberly," Severus warned. "I will fight it, but you may find yourself back in Private Drive this summer if you don't speak up."

Kim spun around and turned to Remus for help, but he only looked worried. "That's not fair!"

"Did I say it was?" Severus asked quietly. "You have to be brave, Kimberly."

Kim felt herself tense with anger. She was brave. "Leave me alone."

* * *

Remus found himself pacing Albus's office yet again a few hours later. "I don't know how to tell her. Especially since there's a chance she doesn't know."

"Of course she knows, Lupin," Severus scoffed. "She couldn't even keep the curiosity off her face. We should focus on the matter at hand."

Albus tapped his fingers on his desk. "We cannot force her to talk. I am assuming you will sue for permanent custody next June, Severus?"

Severus glared at him. Why would the old coot even ask? "You're bloody right I will. I could care less about the damn Blood Wards! The Order can protect Kimberly. And Petunia and her family can rot in the fiery pits of Hell for all I care."

"But will she care?" Albus said grimly. "If Voldemort were to return and something happened to the Dursleys because they were not protected with the wards… Do you think she would be able to live with that?"

"That…" Severus took a deep breath. Lupin was too busy loathing himself to side with him. "That is not Kimberly's concern."

Albus sighed. "Her birth has given her a lot of responsibilities, Severus. And what happens if you choose to spy again? Voldemort will expect you to simply hand her over. This was meant to be a temporary solution."

That snapped Remus out of his thoughts. He felt his blood run cold at the thought of handing her over to the Dursleys next summer. She said that she was _starved._ Albus was out of his mind if he thought she should return to that house. "What? You can't possibly expect her to go back, Albus."

"She only needs to for a month out of the year for the Blood Wards to remain intact," Albus said quietly. "I cannot have them fall."

"Are you mad?" Remus snapped. "I found her with _bruises_ on her! We don't even know what goes on in that house. She never says anything unless she thinks we already know!"

"But do the Dursleys deserve to die for their crimes?" Albus asked.

"That is debatable," Severus growled. "I don't care how it looks. I don't care what anyone says. And I certainly don't care how vulnerable that whale and his horse of a wife are. If this isn't resolved by June of next year, I'll see you in court."

* * *

"Is Severus mad at me?" Kim asked as she and Remus went for a walk by the Black Lake the next morning. "Because he was really…weird at breakfast. Like he had a black cloud over him."

"No." Remus tossed a flat stone into the water, watching it skip away. "He's sore with Albus."

"Oh." Kim sounded like she didn't believe him. She kicked at the stones on the shore, trying to find a flat one like Remus did. "Professor Dumbledore is too nice to get angry with."

"A lot of people think that." Remus looked down at his shoes and took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. "What do you know about werewolves?"

Kim froze, making Remus's heart sink. "I-I don't watch a lot of movies." Her voice sounded flat, like she was purposely keeping the emotion out of it.

"So you only know what Dolores told you," Remus whispered.

Kim bit her lip. If Remus didn't want her to know, then she could act like she didn't know. "She didn't say anything about werewolves. She mostly talked about how creepy Severus is."

Remus's mouth twitched into a smile. "While I am sure one could write books on that subject, we both know that Dolores didn't mention Severus at all."

Kim pursed her lips. Why did Remus want to talk about it if it made him so uncomfortable? "She's a liar."

Remus laughed softly, even though his heart was thudding madly in his chest. "And you are very stubborn. She was telling the truth when she told you that I am a werewolf."

Kim stopped in her tracks and looked up at him. "I like wolves. They're better then dogs. Stronger."

Remus tried to smile, but it was difficult, considering the fact that he had just seen Sirius yesterday. "And more dangerous."

Kim smirked, again reminding him so strongly of James that it hurt. "That only makes them cooler!" She smiled at him and asked innocently, "Can you make me one too?"

"Absolutely not," Remus said so sternly that she flinched. His eyes softened when he saw the hurt in her own. "It is the reason I am sick all the time. And the reason that I can't raise you myself."

She shrugged like it was no big deal but still wouldn't look him in the eyes. "Then we wouldn't have Severus so that's okay. He's the strict one, and you're the nice one."

"Yes, I suppose it's for the best," Remus muttered sadly. "But you have to promise me something."

"What?" Kim picked up a pebble and tried to make it skip across the water like Remus, but it merely sunk with a plop. She wasn't planning on telling anyone, not even Ron and Ginny. It seemed like being a werewolf really bothered Remus.

"Promise me…" Shame caused Remus to have a hard time continuing. "Promise that when the moon is full, that you will _never_ try to find me."

Kim rolled her eyes like any kid would when their parent lectured them. "Fine, fine. I wouldn't look for you. Even though I'm sure you would look awesome."

* * *

"So I take it you told her?" Severus asked a few weeks later as Remus was preparing to head to his house for the full moon.

Remus nodded in thanks as Severus handed him several pain potions. He put them in his battered suitcase and slammed it shut. "Surprisingly, I didn't have a heart attack when she asked me to turn her."

Severus snorted. "Sounds like something Potter would say."

"He did actually," Remus said tiredly. "On several occasions. But he was intoxicated."

"Fascinating," Severus drawled. "She is definitely an arrogant brat like Potter."

Remus frowned, biting back an insult. "Yet you are still kind to her." Severus growled to himself but said nothing. "She likes you Severus. And isn't entirely James."  
Severus rolled his eyes. That was the problem. "Yes. So perhaps she can be saved from turning into a fatheaded Gryffindor."

"With civilized company?" Remus wondered, trying to get Severus's reaction about Kim and Draco's playdate.

Severus made a frustrated noise and shook his head. "I have never seen Draco act like that. I thought he was too young to fancy a girl."

Remus grinned, thinking that James would be practically foaming at the mouth. He used to say that Kim could date when he was too old in senile to realize that she was dating. "Oh, so it's true. I teased her about it a little."

"Luckily, Lucius is too dense with such matters to realize." Severus sneered at the memory. "The boy even blushed when she grinned after beating him at chess. It was disgusting."

Remus chuckled. "He's ten, Severus."

"Eleven," he corrected instantly.

"Really?" Remus pretended to be concerned. "That changes everything. You better have a long talk with him, Severus."

"Shut up, Lupin!" Severus snapped. "You do realize that Lucius only set up a meeting because he wanted to look good? If he ever found out about his son's feelings—"

"Feelings that most likely have already faded away?" Remus smirked. Severus was genuinely worried as if the boy was madly in love with Kim. "He's _eleven_, Severus. By the time school starts, he will probably be head over heels in love with another girl. And yet another by the time the first week of September is over."

Wanting to roll his eyes yet again, Severus handed Remus a list telling him the order to take the potions in. "Whatever, Lupin. Go home and be feral, so you can hurry up and get well. Lucius is coming over tomorrow. Says Draco can't stop talking about his new _friend_."

Remus laughed. "Very well Severus. Don't worry. I'm sure you will be invited to the wedding."

Furious, Severus started yelling and cursing at Remus to get out, only making the werewolf laugh harder. He supposed that he should have informed Severus that Kim didn't even slightly return the youngest Malfoy's feelings. But it was too fun to see the man get so worked up over a childhood crush.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	9. The Orphan

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**A/N: I have to say I butchered this chapter after Greeriver's review. I don't really see Remus as someone who is comfortable talking about being a werewolf, which is why I had him so… reserved when talking to Kim about it. But, that being said, in this fic, Severus tends to speak to Kim bluntly while Remus tends to coddle her as best he can.**

**And Gruffard, the story will be more structured once school starts, I promise! I plan to focus a lot on Kim's relationship with Severus and Remus, but this fic will go in a lot of other directions as well! There is some foreshadowing that is hard to spot, although I did play on it a little heavier in this chapter. It will be clear in Chapter 13 The Troll and will be a plot point at least until fourth year and will be a big problem at the end of third year.**

**Thank you both for the reviews!**

Chapter 9 The Orphan

Severus frowned at breakfast the morning after the full moon. The girl was very content even though she knew what Lupin was going through. "What did Lupin tell you?"

Kim froze with a spoon full of oatmeal in front of her open mouth. Slowly, she set the spoon down. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Severus paused. Lupin would give him an earful if he found out what he was planning to say to her. "I mean what sort of sugar coated version of the truth did he give you?"

"What…" Kim blinked at him and then smiled, realizing what he was talking about. "It's the full moon, so he can turn into a wolf! But he doesn't want me to see him…"

Severus narrowed his eyes. Maybe he would be the one to give Lupin an earful. "And do you know why?"

Kim shrugged and started eating again. "Maybe 'cause he's sick like before. Or he'll think that I'll be afraid of him like other people are. But I won't be! He'll get better, and then we'll go to Ron and Ginny's and chase the gnomes again."

Severus stared until she started fidgeting. He honestly thought that Lupin went on a self-loathing tirade to scare the living day lights out of her. He was clearly wrong. "Let me explain something to you, Kimberly. If people knew that Lupin was a werewolf, they would sooner spit on him than lower themselves by meeting his eye."

"But—"

"Let me finish," Severus snapped. He almost winched when she cast her eyes downward with hurt feelings. "He turns into a feral animal during the full moon. He would eat you without batting an eye. And that is why he can't hold a job. That is why he can't afford to feed himself let alone you even if the Ministry wouldn't rip you from his arms if he dared think himself capable of raising you."

Kim felt her cheeks burn. "Remus is nice to me."

Severus raised his eyebrows. "Did you hear me? He would eat you, Kimberly. Literally eat you. And if by some chance you survived, you would end up just like him."

Kim shook her head. "No, he wouldn't! He didn't even like it when I skinned my knee!"

"His mind is gone during the full moon," Severus said sternly, trying to get through to her thick skull. "He cannot control himself. Society sees him as a monster even though I myself think him too weak to be one."

"They're wrong!" Kim yelled as the table started to shake. "He's nice to me! He was the first person who ever was!"

"Calm down, the Malfoys will be here soon." Severus closed his eyes as he felt a head ache coming on. Lupin adored the girl to a fault. He was too soft with her. "I do not want you to be surprised if you witness people discriminating against him. Lupin has put walls up and is not used to discussing his illness with others."

"He was really sick last time," Kim muttered because he used the word 'illness'.

"Because he is a sick man who was living off very little food," Severus said bluntly.

Kim shivered at the thought of Remus starving. He couldn't even sneak into the kitchen at the Dursleys for food when he was hungry. "Why are people so mean to him? He would never hurt anyone when the moon isn't full."

"You're mother used to say the same thing," Severus said quietly, throat constricting slightly at the thought of Lily. Dumbledore had told him that a few years after she died when he almost ran into Lupin at her grave.

"What do you think?" Kim asked bravely. James Potter's eyes meeting his own.

Severus had to literally bite his tongue to keep from blurting something out. He thought Lupin was a spineless man who was more often blinded by love than not. "I believe… I believe that Lupin loves you as if you were his own daughter. And that he fears that you would hate him if you knew what he was capable of."

Kim glared at him as if he were implying that Remus deserved to be hated. "I could never hate Remus! My magic has hurt him before, and he isn't afraid of me!"

"Fear changes people, Kimberly." Severus glanced at the Great Hall Doors, seeing them open to reveal two heads of light blonde hair. "Don't ever forget that."

* * *

Kim sighed as she laid in the grass and stared at the clouds fifteen minutes later. Her conversation with Severus left her with a heavy heart. She had about a million more questions to ask him, but the conversation was over once Draco and his father were almost in earshot. And Severus only really spoke to her when Remus wasn't around. Knowing that she wasn't going to get anymore answers, she tried not to think about Remus and turned her gaze to Draco, who was fidgeting because she was so quiet. "Is playing chess the only thing you like to do?"

Draco shook his head, standing because he didn't want to get grass stains on his trousers. Severus had conjured himself a chair and was reading letters from parents and students. "I like to read…. And play Quidditch. But you don't have a broom."

Kim sat up, curiosity distracting her momentarily from thoughts about Remus. "Like a flying broom?"

Draco made a face like she was asking a stupid question. "Yes. Do you even know how to play?"

Kim pursed her lips. She didn't like it when people thought she was stupid. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon thought she was stupid. Dudley often said she was too dumb for friends. "I bet you don't know how to play football!"

"What?" Draco frowned before he realized that she wasn't talking about a wizarding sport. He didn't even understand why she would want to play a Muggle game. She should be embarrassed about living like a Muggle. "Why would I want to know how to play stupid Muggle games?"

"It's not stupid!" Kim defended. "Quidditch is stupid!"

"You don't even know how to play!" Draco exclaimed with outrage. Father warned him that she would be thick when it came to the Wizarding World but come on! Who doesn't know about Quidditch?!

"You don't know how to play football either, git!"

Tossing his quill aside, Severus put his face in his hands. Why did he agree to this? "For the love of Merlin, both of you cease your bickering! We'll walk to the Quidditch stadium, so Draco can properly explain the sport."

"Then we'll walk to the football stadium!" Kim announced, standing up and putting her hands on her hips.

"After it is built," Severus drawled. "You can talk to Professor Dumbledore about it later."

Kim stuck her nose in the air. "And I'm sure he'll think it's a splendid idea."

"Oh, I'm sure," Severus grumbled, wishing Lucius hadn't left him with the brats. He was sure the Malfoy patriarch was having the time of his life with Narcissa while he was stuck with these two lovebirds.

"So, Father says that your birthday is in the middle of next week. Are you having a party?" Draco asked on the way to the Quidditch Pitch. Severus inwardly winced. He doubted the Dursleys would have ever given her a party, if they were unwilling to give her a room.

As predicted, Kim's face flushed with embarrassment. "Birthday parties are for babies!" she snapped defensively. "So no."

Blissfully oblivious, Draco snorted. "Maybe for Muggles. Father says that Muggles are horrible. Is that why you ran away?"

"No." Kim glared at Severus as if this were his fault. But he remained silent instead of telling Draco to mind his own business. Severus was interested in hearing her explanation. He only knew the Dursleys' side of the story. But of course, she was infuriatingly vague. "I ran away… I ran away because I could. There was no one to stop me."

"That doesn't make sense," Draco grumbled, kicking a rock as they walked.

Kim turned to him and narrowed her eyes, mentally debating. Finally, she said, "You're right. Muggles are horrible."

Draco was silent until they reached the Quidditch Stadium after that. "Well…Severus isn't horrible." She gave him a small smile. "So he'll throw you a party."

Severus blinked. He knew Molly was planning something for the brat, and his plans were to stay far away from all festivities. "What?"

Draco looked at him haughtily, and Severus wondered if he knew how brave such an act was. Probably not. "You were at _my_ birthday party not long ago, so you'll know what to do."

Severus stared for a moment and then shook his head. "You both are insufferable."

Kim laughed, and Severus felt his heart skip a beat. She sounded exactly like Lily. "You would be so _bored_ without us!"

* * *

When Remus returned three days later, he fully expected Kim to bombard him with questions about the full moon. Instead, she stared at him shyly as he lay in a Hospital Wing bed. "I'm sorry Dolores told me your secret."

Remus frowned, brain still too sluggish to think too deeply into her behavior. "I'm used to it."

Kim bit her cheek to keep from saying, _I know._ She imagined that Remus wouldn't want Severus to tell her what he told her. "One time… Right before this past Christmas, Dudley pushed me in the snow during recess. I was soaked and thought I would be stuck like that all day."

A little caught off guard, Remus tried to keep the surprise off his face. She was never this specific when she talked about the past. "You must've been angry."

Kim's eyes flashed, telling Remus that she was still angry. "His friends wouldn't stop laughing at me! I thought I would be cold and wet all day. That they would laugh at me all day."

"So what did you do?" Remus asked, still not sure where she was going with this. He thought she would pester him about his transformation.

"He was pointing at me while he laughed, so I jumped up, grabbed his arm, and I bit him." Kim grimaced. "So hard I tasted blood."

Remus tried to smile, even though he felt sick at the thought of tasting blood. "Did you get in trouble?"

Kim shrugged and looked away, worrying Remus. "Yeah, I guess. Everyone at school stayed away from me after that. They only came near me to pick on me. Anyone who wasn't brave enough was afraid of me."

Remus felt is heart sink. So this was related to his lycanthropy after all. "That must have hurt. You didn't deserve that."

"I did." Kim gripped the edge of Remus's bed so hard her knuckles turned white. "But you don't."

Remus was silent for a while. He didn't know how to tell her that people had every right to be cautious of him while she deserved help or a friend instead of caution. He wouldn't just tear a little skin on a person's arm. He would rip the arm off. Finally, he whispered, "I'm dangerous."

"You're my friend," she said firmly.

Remus smiled. James would say something like that. "Thank you. However, that doesn't make me any less dangerous. I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't," she insisted.

"Not on purpose, no." Remus would never forgive himself if he so much as transformed in front of her. The Ministry would put him down before he could even register what happened in his mind though. "People are afraid of me because during the full moon, I have a lot of strength and very little control over it. And so, they try to push me away or find a way to weaken me."

Kim studied his scarred face. He looked very sad. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything. Severus liked to throw the truth in her face while Remus liked to hide it and try to be happy. She wasn't entirely sure which she preferred. "Don't worry Remus. I won't push you a way."

* * *

The next day, Remus rubbed at his eyes as he sat in the kitchen at the Burrow, having tea with Molly while the kids taught Kim how to play Exploding Snap. He was still fatigued from the moon. "I know Molly," he whispered. "But I don't want to hurt the boy's feelings."

Mrs. Weasley thinned her lips. She was sure her husband would be far from comfortable with having a Malfoy in his home. "If Severus were to escort the boy here, maybe Arthur would agree. I'm surprised Lucius would let his son come over. You would think he wouldn't want him to _lower _himself."

Remus winced. "He isn't. Severus sent him a Howler this morning."

"Poor dear," Mrs. Weasley tutted as she heard the giggles from the children in the parlor. "Lucius will ruin him."

Remus sipped his sugary tea. Severus said that Lucius would probably forbid all contact, considering how annoyed he sounded in his letters. "She may go over there for lunch, if Severus is able to persuade Lucius. I don't know what to make of it."

Molly sighed sadly. "You see how she acts around Fred and George. If she thinks the Malfoy boy is cruel… Well, it will be a shame."

In the parlor, Kim peered at Percy while they were taking a break from Exploding Snap, and Ron was getting his Gobstones supplies. She really didn't know what to make of Percy. He was thirteen years old and already reading the newspaper with a scowl on his face like Uncle Vernon. "I didn't know pictures could move."

Percy sniffed at her as if it were her fault that it was raining, and she, Ginny, and Ron couldn't make noise outside instead of in. "You've seen the portraits at Hogwarts."

"I thought those were people stuck in the frames." Kim frowned while Ginny laughed and started brushing her doll's hair. "Who's that?"

Percy glanced at the front page and froze, remembering that the main article was about Black's demand for visitation with Remus. "No one important." Without another word, Percy rose and headed for the other side of the house.

"Percy thinks he knows everything," Ginny said with strained patience as she put her doll aside, and Ron came back. "But sometimes I think he's just a git."

* * *

Later that night, Severus stormed into the room that Remus was staying in across from Kim's and slammed the day's newspaper on his desk. Remus paled at the sight of Sirius screaming on the front page. "Is this how you want her to find out?"

"No…" Remus gulped at the thought of her getting a hold of that article. He was sure that it mentioned what the traitor did.

"You keep a plethora of secrets from her, Lupin." Severus sneered at him. "The children at school are going to ogle at her, and you don't have the decency to tell her why?"

Remus flipped the paper over as if that could hide the memories. "She isn't even eleven. I don't know how to tell her."

"Just like you didn't know how to tell her about your lycanthropy," Severus spat. "Start off with what will be common knowledge at school. Tell her about the Dark Lord and that he killed her parents but was unable to kill her."

Remus felt his blood run cold at his bluntness. "When I first met her, she didn't even know that her father's name is James. I doubt she knows what they look like. All she'll know is…" He shuddered. "…how they died."

Severus rolled his eyes. Lupin was too soft for his own good. "Give her pictures for her birthday in two days. Then _after _her birthday, explain it to her. And if you don't by mid-August, I will tell her _everything_ Lupin. Including about Black and—"

"Don't." Remus closed his eyes as if pained. "I will tell her what she needs to know. But I want to wait a few years before I explain… everything else."

Severus narrowed his eyes, thinking about one of those secrets. Kimberly would never forgive Lupin. "You have two weeks."

* * *

The next day, Remus decided Severus was right and gave Kim a carefully put together photo album. The pictures were limited to herself as a baby and Lily and James. It took him a while to find a wedding picture without Sirius in it.

"I look like her," Kim muttered softly once she ripped off the wrapping paper, more to herself than Remus. He put a picture of James proposing to Lily on the cover. She instantly opened it and studied each picture closely.

Remus nodded, remembering Lily at her age. "Yes. But if you look closely, you'll see that you have your father's eyes."

She peered at a picture of her father holding a trophy, putting her face near the page. "I hope I don't get his blindness."

Remus laughed softly. "He was rather lost without his glasses."

Kim tore herself away from the photos and smiled. Her smile faltered a bit, however, when she noticed how sad Remus looked. Maybe she should look at the pictures without him… "Thank you," she said quietly. "I've never-I don't have any pictures."

Remus smiled sadly, not wanting to push her about the Dursleys on her birthday. "And now you do."

* * *

Kim was surprised that Mrs. Weasley cared about her enough to bake her a cake, considering how much she picked on the twins. Draco was nowhere in sight, but she was too distracted by a newcomer named Neville to question it. Ron said he was clumsy, but Kim thought he was just nervous.

"Hi," she said when Ron and Ginny were helping their brothers set up for Quidditch.

The boy looked at his shoes. "Hello."

She frowned. Was this what she was like when she first met Ron and Ginny? "Remus said that it's your birthday too."

Neville's head shot up and his eyes widened, as if he were surprised that she knew. "Y-y-yeah."

"Last year, I got Aunt Petunia's old socks on my birthday." She wrinkled her nose but then smiled, trying to joke around. However, Neville didn't seem to think it was funny and squeaked nervously before casting his eyes back to his shoes.

"C'mon!" Ron and Ginny returned, and Ron waved an extra old broom in the air. "We'll play with apples."

Kim turned to Neville. "Are _you_ playing?" Neville's eyes widened at Ginny's extra broom and quickly shook his head, not wanting to embarrass himself. "I've never played either."

Again, Neville shook his head. "I c-c-can't."

Feeling stubborn, Kim folded her arms over her chest. "I'm not playing unless Neville plays."

Ron groaned while Ginny giggled. "Why?"

Kim narrowed her eyes like she thought Ron was stupid. "Because it's his birthday too! I'm not leaving him alone with that old lady. She looks grumpier than Aunt Petunia!"

Neville gave her a ghost of a smile. His grandmother almost had to drag him here. He didn't have any friends and didn't want to spend his birthday being ignored by other children. "Gran is just still sick from the floo."

"We're playing with Neville," Kim said firmly, ignoring his excuse.

Ron sighed dramatically and tossed his brooms on the ground. "Fine." He glared at Neville. "What do you like to play then?"

"Uh…" Neville flushed with embarrassment at being put on the spot, which was under Ron's critical gaze. "I don't know."

Ginny grinned at Ron's melodramatics. "We could play tag or hide and seek or chase the gnomes or—"

"Or play chess," Kim butted in when Neville looked more and more mortified with each option. If Neville didn't like to run around, maybe he was like Draco and liked inside games. "We could have a tournament."

Finally, Ron perked up. "That sounds great!"

Everyone looked at Neville, who finally relaxed. He was half way decent at chess. "Yeah. Sounds great."

* * *

"I need to tell you something." Remus waited a week to have this conversation but still felt cruel for having to tell her. Kim's birthday party was wonderful. He never heard her laugh so much.

Kim's eyes flickered to Remus for a brief moment. Severus bought her a mini-potions set for her birthday, and even though he didn't wrap it or wait to see her reaction, she was fascinated by it. It was one of her best presents, second only to her photo album. She had just finished putting it together in a classroom with Remus and was trying to figure out how to make water glow green.

Remus sighed and put the flame out of the candle under her tiny cauldron with a flick of his wand. "It's rather important. And I should have told you sooner."

Kim kept her eyes on the cauldron, which was filled with murky water. "I don't mind that people are afraid of you and are mean to you, Remus. That's why I told you the story about biting Dudley."

Remus smiled sadly. "No. I need to tell you what happened to your parents. They were murdered when you were a baby."

Kim didn't say anything, but the flame in the cauldron burst back to life, evaporating the water and filling the room with mint green smoke. Remus coughed and spluttered while he fumbled for his wand to open a window. When the smoke died down, he saw that the flame was so high that it was starting to melt the little cauldron. He quickly extinguished it.

Remus coughed one more time and tried to push the remaining smoke out the window with his hand. "I need to tell you. I don't want some else to."

She shook her head so fast that her hair smacked her face. Her eyes were snapped tightly shut to keep the tears in. "No! They died in a car crash! It was an _accident!_"

"Your parents were the best sort of people." Remus pushed his seat a little closer to hers. "And they died fighting the worst."

"They died in a car crash!" Kim swore. The flame in the cauldron ignited again, so hot that Remus flinched.

Remus tapped the fast melting cauldron with his wand, encasing it in a block of ice. Kim shivered and hugged herself tightly as if protecting herself. Placing his wand on the table, Remus ploughed on. "His name was Voldemort. He was the darkest wizard around, and he broke into your house—"

The ice block exploded, and Remus just had enough time to cover his face. He gasped loudly as a shard cut his arm. Kim shot out of her seat. "Uncle Vernon has an alarm! If anyone broke into the house, it would go off!"

Remus paled, trying to ignore the stinging in his arm. He didn't want to talk about Sirius. "Wizards have magical alarms. Someone very close to your parents gave Voldemort… the _code_ to that alarm, an alarm that wouldn't have even let Voldemort even _see_ their house."

"Who?" Kim screamed, backing away. They died in a car crash… It made much more sense that they would die in a car crash!

"Their best friend," Remus admitted. He didn't have it in him to say _Sirius Black._

Kim backed away until she was against the wall. "You were their best friend!"

Remus moved away from the cauldron when the ingredients started to smoke on their own. He covered them with more conjured ice. "Not their only best friend. His name… His name was S-Sirius Black. And we-we all trusted him."

"Why?" Kim cried as the ice blocks cracked. "Uncle Vernon knows his own code! He doesn't give it away! Not even Dudley knows it!"

Remus tried to take a step closer to her but froze when her eyes widened. "Your father thought of Sirius Black as brother."

The desk with the potions set collapsed into large splitters. "And he died because of it!"

"Yes." Remus paused, waiting for her to respond, but Kim only glared at him with shiny eyes. "Voldemort had many followers because he was so powerful. No one survived the spell he used to kill people. No one except you. The only proof of what he did to you is the scar on your forehead."

Kim whimpered as a desk next to her collapsed like the one with her potions set. Her head was starting to pound. "But you said I was a baby!"

Remus nodded, trying not to look at the splinters, which were starting to shake. "The spell he used to kill people backfired when he tried to use it on you. I'm not entirely sure what happened. Dumbledore has a theory about magic that your mother used to protect you, but it is ancient magic that I have trouble fully understanding."

"Then why didn't she use the same magic on herself and my dad!" Kim wanted to add, _Because I need them!_ But her throat was starting to tighten with the effort not to cry.

"I do not know." Remus nearly cried out when a splinter hit him in the leg. He felt blood instantly soak the pant leg. "But-but that is why people stare at you in Diagon Alley. It is cruel, I know, but they see you as the one who saved them. When the spell backfired, Voldemort was defeated."

"So he's dead?" Kim asked as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her head was hurting too badly to think about scrubbing them away.

"Many like to believe so. _Immobulus!_" Remus flinched as a splinter stopped right before his eye. He gently pushed it to the ground. "But others believe he is very weak, trying to figure out how to become strong again."

Kim wanted to ask Remus what he thought but didn't want to hear the answer if he thought Voldemort was still alive. "So everyone thinks I'm a hero because my mum died and made sure I didn't?"

Heart sinking to his stomach, Remus nodded. "You are often called The-Girl-Who-Lived."

Kim pressed her fingers to her closed eyes. "I don't want that."

"I know." Remus felt his own eyes burn with tears. He wished she was comfortable enough with touch to let him hug her. "And I'm sorry."

Wanting to be left alone, Kim started at Remus's bleeding arm and leg. "You should get that checked."

Remus blinked in surprise. He was too focused on her to really notice the pain. She supposed she wanted some time alone to let his words sink in. "I'll walk you to your room and then Madame Pomfrey will sort it out."

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Looks like Draco's got some competition! ;) Please review!**


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